10 of the most haunted places in Northern Ireland
In recent years, Northern Ireland’s unique culture, with its festivals, music, natural beauty and sense of hospitality has attracted tourists from far and wide.
But that culture has also produced tales of paranormal beings, such as screaming banshees and Balor, the Celtic God of Death. While such beliefs may not be as widespread anymore, several locations off the beaten path will serve as intriguing detours for lovers of the supernatural.
Apart from the locations of ‘Westeros’, the Giant’s Causeway, and the Titanic Quarter, Northern Ireland is in fact a treasure trove of paranormal locales whose dark histories have certainly appealed to people - with ghost-hunting documentaries and podcasts galore, and such luminaries as Demi Lovato reporting ghostly encounters, interest in the unexplained has arguably never been higher.
The fascination with the macabre which has lasted centuries in Ireland has resulted in tales of murdered lovers, bloodthirsty vampires, and uneasy feelings in externally innocent sites.
If you are a fan of the ghoulish, here are 10 of the most haunted places in Northern Ireland you should know about:
The fascination with the macabre which has lasted centuries in Ireland has resulted in tales of murdered lovers, bloodthirsty vampires, and uneasy feelings in externally innocent sites.
5. Bruce’s Castle, Rathlin Island
It’s not just on the mainland that ghosts roam. While staying at this castle three miles off the north Antrim coast in the early 14th century, Robert the Bruce and a group of his warriors fell into an enchanted sleep that declared that when they woke, they would rise up and unite Scotland with Rathlin. While the prophecy may not have come true, more recently, a group of fishermen claimed to have been accosted by a disembodied hand. Fnd out more about the castle, go to discovernorthernireland.com/rathlin-island
6. Smithfield Market, Belfast
Not even shopping markets are safe from ghostly phantoms. Biddy Farrelly was allegedly in love with a stallholder, Luke White, in the mid-18th century, but he left to pursue his dream of creating a printing press in Dublin. In despair, Biddy drank herself to death one year later, as the story goes. Her ghost has apparently been sighted walking Gresham Street at midnight on Lammas Eve (July 31) carrying ballad sheets and crying for her lost love. To learn more, go to belfastcity.gov.uk/smithfield
7. WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre, Comber
In 2019, this seemingly innocuous marshland made a list of the Uk’s most haunted heritage sites that had been compiled by Spectrum Paranormal Investigations. Aside from being the home of Ireland’s largest collection of exotic and native water birds, a woman in Victorian dress has been sighted walking through the wetlands holding a baby and a lantern. It has been claimed the woman cries out at night...looking for shelter and warmth. For more information about the centre, go to wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/castle-espie
8. Crown Bar, Belfast
On the surface, you wouldn’t expect a bustling pub in the heart of Belfast to be a hive of paranormal activity. However, you’d be wrong - this National Trust-owned property, first established in the 1820s, is rumoured to host two resident ghosts - Michael Flanagan, who renovated the bar in 1885, and Amelia, a Victorian prostitute who fell down the stairs to her death in mysterious circumstances. Located opposite Europa Bus Centre and Great Victoria Street train station, the bar is easily accessible. To find our more, go to nationaltrust.org.uk/the-crown-bar