Loftus Hall: ‘Ireland’s most haunted house’ up for sale with offers expected to exceed €4m
Loftus Hall, globally famous as Ireland’s most haunted house. File picture
Loftus Hall, which is reported to be Ireland's most haunted house, has been put up for sale.
While a price has not been set, offers of more than €4m are expected for the Co Wexford property, which sits on 63 acres of land.
Paddy McKillen Jr is selling the property, having purchased it for €1.75m in 2022.
The developer purchased it through his company, Oakmont, and according to , he had plans to transform it into a hotel.
According to the newspaper, Mr McKillen Jr has instructed real estate agent Colliers to find a buyer for the famous property, which overlooks the Hook Peninsula. The estate also has its own private beach.
With McKillen Jr pulling the plug on plans for a luxury 22-bedroom hotel, Loftus Hall will be open to investors for reinvention once more.
It has 22 bedrooms and has played host to a number of film crews attracted by its spooky setting and legendary ghost stories.
The house's history dates back to when the Normans landed in 1170, at which time 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 when legend says it was visited by the devil.
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 tells of a dark and stormy night when a stranger arrived at the hall 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 see 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, rumours began circulating 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.
Prior to Mr McKillen Jr, it was owned by Aidan Quigley, who bought the house in 2011 for €625,000 when it was almost derelict.
