Loftus Hall: Ireland’s Infamous Haunted House Goes Up for Sale
Ghost/Paranormal
Yesterday
2 minute read.
Loftus Hall, a historic mansion on the Hook Peninsula in County Wexford, is once again on the market after undergoing significant renovations. The three-storey property, covering 2,461 square metres and set on 68 acres, includes a private beach and is reputed to be Ireland’s most haunted house.
Developer Paddy McKillen Jnr has decided to sell the building after investing €1.75 million through his company, Oakmount, in 2022. Plans for a luxury hotel, which included a 56-bedroom hotel block, a gym and spa, wedding facilities, 33 standalone garden cottages, and 10 eco pods, have now been abandoned.
The house, which features 22 bedrooms, was sold in 2011 for €300,000, according to the Property Price Register. Prior to that, it was purchased in 2008 by a Galway-based businessman for approximately €1.7 million.
Loftus Hall has been a popular tourist attraction, particularly around Halloween, due to its reputation for paranormal activity. The house is linked to a well-known legend in which a mysterious stranger, invited inside during a storm, was discovered to have a cloven foot. According to the story, the figure vanished through the ceiling in a puff of smoke. The house was later exorcised by Father Thomas Broaders, who went on to serve as Parish Priest of Hook and Ramsgrange for nearly 50 years.
The current mansion was built in 1870 by the Marquis of Ely on the ruins of Redmond Hall, which dated back to 1350 and was owned by the Loftus family from the 1600s. In the 18th century, Charles Tottenham lived there, contributing to the origins of the famous legend.
Loftus Hall has served multiple purposes over the years, including as a convent run by the Benedictine and Sisters of Providence order of nuns at the turn of the 20th century. It later operated as a country hotel in the 1980s and 1990s.
The property has also appeared in popular media, featuring in the 2017 Gothic horror film The Lodgers, starring Charlotte Vega and Game of Thrones actor Eugene Simon. Additionally, it has been used for paranormal-themed television broadcasts.
Irish author Eoin Colfer, known for the Artemis Fowl series, has cited Loftus Hall as part of the inspiration for Fowl Manor. Colfer worked at the mansion as a teenager when it operated as a country house hotel.
Colliers Auctioneers is reportedly handling the sale, as per The Irish Times.
Developer Paddy McKillen Jnr has decided to sell the building after investing €1.75 million through his company, Oakmount, in 2022. Plans for a luxury hotel, which included a 56-bedroom hotel block, a gym and spa, wedding facilities, 33 standalone garden cottages, and 10 eco pods, have now been abandoned.
The house, which features 22 bedrooms, was sold in 2011 for €300,000, according to the Property Price Register. Prior to that, it was purchased in 2008 by a Galway-based businessman for approximately €1.7 million.
Loftus Hall has been a popular tourist attraction, particularly around Halloween, due to its reputation for paranormal activity. The house is linked to a well-known legend in which a mysterious stranger, invited inside during a storm, was discovered to have a cloven foot. According to the story, the figure vanished through the ceiling in a puff of smoke. The house was later exorcised by Father Thomas Broaders, who went on to serve as Parish Priest of Hook and Ramsgrange for nearly 50 years.
The current mansion was built in 1870 by the Marquis of Ely on the ruins of Redmond Hall, which dated back to 1350 and was owned by the Loftus family from the 1600s. In the 18th century, Charles Tottenham lived there, contributing to the origins of the famous legend.
Loftus Hall has served multiple purposes over the years, including as a convent run by the Benedictine and Sisters of Providence order of nuns at the turn of the 20th century. It later operated as a country hotel in the 1980s and 1990s.
The property has also appeared in popular media, featuring in the 2017 Gothic horror film The Lodgers, starring Charlotte Vega and Game of Thrones actor Eugene Simon. Additionally, it has been used for paranormal-themed television broadcasts.
Irish author Eoin Colfer, known for the Artemis Fowl series, has cited Loftus Hall as part of the inspiration for Fowl Manor. Colfer worked at the mansion as a teenager when it operated as a country house hotel.
Colliers Auctioneers is reportedly handling the sale, as per The Irish Times.
