Taking a leap into the paranormal at Offaly castle

With all things spooky on the agenda for Halloween this weekend, the one location in Offaly where ghosts and spirits are sure to be on the prowl is Leap Castle.

Long regarded as one of the most haunted castles in Ireland, Leap Castle is the location for year-round Public Paranormal Investigation events which attract a broad mix of people from all over the country to Offaly in the hopes of witnessing some phenomenon that cannot be easily explained.

The events, which take place on Saturday nights and involve an overnight stay in Leap Castle and breakfast the following morning, are run by a Dublin-based company called Paranormal Adventures Ireland.

Amy Dillon, who is one of the three founding members of Paranormal Adventures Ireland, says they “absolutely love” hosting events in Leap Castle, close to Coolderry, as it has a very interesting history, and the owner, Sean Ryan, is always “very welcoming and very accommodating” to their team.

“Of course we get a fair share of sceptics,” admits Amy, who adds that the events also attract local people in search of something a bit unusual, mediums who are interested in all things paranormal, and those who are just naturally curious about supernatural activity.

Each event is capped at a maximum of 13 people, and Amy Dillon and her team bring along a variety of paranormal equipment including spirit boxes and voice recorders which participants are encouraged to use.

“We do get a small number of people who would be critical of what we do, but many people are interested in paranormal activity, and this is particularly the case around Halloween, which has always had associations with ghosts, ghouls and all things spooky,” says Amy.

The owner of Leap Castle, Sean Ryan and his wife, do not regard their home as being haunted, but Amy Dillon says they have witnessed “some things that cannot be explained” since coming there in 1994, which makes it the perfect location for public paranormal investigations.

She is keen to invite anyone who is sceptical about paranormal activity to book one of the Paranormal Adventures Ireland events in Leap Castle, which boasts a Bloody Chapel and a Murder Hole among its attractions! All the events in Leap Castle run by Amy Dillon and her team can be booked directly on the Facebook or Instagram pages of Paranormal Adventures Ireland.