Ghost storeys: Ireland's 'spookiest home' sold
The house originally went on the market at €2.5m, having traded for some years as an after-dark tourist attraction with ghostly goings-on.
One of Ireland's spookiest homes, a vast mansion with 97 windows that is said to have once hosted the devil, has been sold.
Loftus Hall in Fethard-on-Sea, Co Wexford, sits on 63 acres with direct access to the beach, has 22 bedrooms, and has played host to a number of film crews attracted by its spooky setting and legendary ghost stories.
Having been on the market for a year, Loftus Hall has now been sold to an unnamed buyer.
The devil remains in the detail as to what the buyer plans - or what they paid - for the house that occupies a prominent position near Hook Lighthouse.
Owner Aidan Quigley, who bought the house in 2011 for €625,000 when it was it was almost derelict, said he enjoyed his decade as custodian, working to restore the property.
An estimated €1.5m was spent on the restoration.
"We can confirm that Loftus Hall is sold. This is my last day in the hall. I have to reflect on 10 very happy years here," Mr Quigley said.
He paid tribute to his staff and thanked everyone who supported his business over the years.
Trading on its haunted reputation, the house operated as an after-dark tourist attraction with ghostly goings-on for a number of years, proving a big attraction to paranormal enthusiasts.
You hear a strange eerie sound, the hair is beginning to stand up on the back of your neck...do you go beyond the door to investigate ? pic.twitter.com/Ib2LEFZJAz
— Loftus Hall (@LoftusLucifer) August 17, 2020
The house's history dates back to when the Normans landed in 1170, when a castle was built in the area.
In 1350, the first hall was built - known as Redmond Hall. In 1666, it was passed from the Redmond family to the Loftus family, and they remained the owners until the early 20th century.
The hall's haunted reputation dates back to 1766. Lord Tottenham, who had married Anne Loftus, lived there and the ghostly tale concerns their daughter, also named Anne, and a visit by 'a dark stranger'.
Many versions of the tale have been recounted, but in essence, it talks of a dark and stormy night when a stranger came a-calling and he and Tottenham's daughter, Lady Anne, spent hours playing cards together in the Tapestry Room.
During a game, Anne is said to have bent down to retrieve a fallen card from the floor only to spy cloven hooves at the end of the stranger's legs. She screamed, prompting the stranger to disappear through the ceiling .... in a puff of smoke.
Lady Anne never recovered and after her death, and rumours began locally that the house was haunted. Since then, it has retained its spooky reputation
The house originally went on the market at €2.5m. It is not known if the new owners have an avid interest in the paranormal, or if they will keep it open to the public.
