Ballyseede Castles Resident Ghost

The Blennerhassett family had lived on the 30-acre Ballyseede Castle Estate since 1590. The main Castle was built in 1721 and extended during the later years of the 1700s, remaining under family ownership until the death of Hilda Blennerhassett in 1965.

The ghostly legend of Ballyseede Castle is deeply interwoven with the story of the rose. In the 1500s, ownership of the Castle lay with Sir Edward Denny, who rented the property to the Blennerhassetts before they built their home on the site.

Legend has it that on the Feast Day of St John the Baptist, Midsummer’s Day on 21st June, a single red rose would be exchanged as ground rent for the Castle. The Castle was known for its rose collection, producing large, heavily scented blooms from its rich, dark soil.

Many people independently report that, at different times of the year, they experience a very strong smell of roses on the main staircase, even though no roses are present.

The scent is an eerie aromatic announcement that precedes the appearance of the ghost of Hilda Blennerhassett herself. She is mostly seen roaming around the upper-floor bedrooms of the Castle and the main staircase.

She appears outside our world, an occasional visitor who does not interact with those she chooses to meet. Seen only as a fleeting glance from the corner of an eye, she fades away once she has made her presence known.

Older patrons who frequent the hotel bar recount childhood memories of stealing apples from the Castle orchard. They recall catching glimpses of an elderly woman in a black Victorian dress at the upper windows.

When Hilda passed away, she was found still wearing the long black dress, although it was tattered and worn threadbare with age. The rose beds may be gone, but the presence of Hilda’s ghost, the last of the Blennerhassett family line, is said to still roam the Castle.

Guests have also reported seeing and hearing the spirits of children dressed in period clothing. Possibly victims of the Irish Famine of the mid-19th century, these unfortunate and solemn spirits are seen only within the Castle itself.

Like Hilda, they frequent the main staircase and upper levels, but they have also allegedly been seen in the bedrooms. It is believed that these children may have worked within the Castle, serving in the kitchens, carrying goods to the upper rooms and tending to the fireplaces.

They bear no connection to sightings of Hilda, but it is interesting to wonder whether she ever experienced them while living alone in the Castle.

Although no one has ever reported a negative or upsetting experience in the Castle, its proprietors, Marnie and Rory, did encounter what could be described as a poltergeist, or ‘noisy ghost’.

The hotel closes between January and March each year for decorating and any alterations that need to be carried out on the property. During one such closure, the family moved into the hotel while their own house was being renovated. Over the winter period, with the front gate locked, they were the sole occupants of the Castle.

The unexplained noise occurred at around 4am. Awoken in the pitch darkness of his bedroom, Rory heard a bedroom door being slammed, which he recalls sounded as though it had been “slammed in anger”.

The shock of being awoken was followed by what appeared to be a more immediate danger, as he heard what sounded like someone physically running down the stairs. Whoever it was appeared to be large and heavily built, bounding down each flight of stairs from the top of the Castle to the front door.

His initial thought was that they were being robbed, and he began searching the Castle, expecting to find damage or some evidence of a disturbance. The front door was still locked and had not allowed anyone in or out. A contrasting stillness hung over the staircase.

Are there ghosts at Ballyseede Castle? Who knows? How much you believe is entirely up to you!