Carry on screaming at Ebrington’s haunted mansion

The former officers’ mess building just off Cunningham Square at the former military complex is the perfect creepy setting for le Chateau, given it’s central location, convenient car parking and distinctly unloved mien.

The press launch on Tuesday night was a howling success, with a squadron of ghouls putting the frighteners on adults and children. Bravado evaporated as mere humans were abandoned to navigate a series of corridors in the dark, while ghouls plagued the hapless souls as they tried to escape, groping through the gloom. The ground floor of the mansion is a maze punctuated with grim event spaces with visions similar to the sets from the most chilling horror movies ever made: Blood, cobwebs, torn sticky curtains in nightmare shades claw at the imagination, adding to the intimidating atmosphere.

The Chateau is the latest addition to Hallowe’en menu of entertainment in Londonderry, the largest All Saints Night festival in Europe, which attracts over 25,000 people annually. The highlight of festival is always the Banks of the Foyle Hallowe’en Carnival, the theme of which this year is ‘City of Bones’, a play on the skeleton on the city’s Coat of Arms.

If you can’t wait for the carnival parade, there are a myriad of other events taking place from October 22 to November 2 in various venues across the city.

Log on to the Londonderry Sentinel website to view a video of Chateau le Fear.