It's said that Loftus Hall hosted the devil and has been haunted since the 18th century.
"Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination — hmm?"
That's one of my favorites quotes from Walt Disney's attraction "The Haunted Mansion."
That "ride" always terrified me as a kid and as an adult, I impatiently wait for the hitchhiking ghosts to plow down on the seat next to me. However, after reading about this haunted mansion in Ireland it sort of terrifies me all over again — and it's for sale, too!
It's named Loftus Hall and it's a fancy Georgian manor house in County Wexford, Ireland. Recently it was placed on the market for sale but buyers beware, you will have more than 22 bedrooms and an extensive yard to tend to.
Stories say that the Devil, himself, once lived there and it has been haunted ever since.
Its historic beginnings settled in 1170 went under construction in 1350 during the time of the Black Death. Later, in the 17th century when the Irish Confederate Wars were happening, the hall was attacked by soldiers.
The wreckage didn't stop there, though. The mansion went up in flames several more times throughout 40 years. It was not until the 18th century that the home began to earn its haunting and spooky reputation.
The Legend Of Loftus Hall
"In the late 1700s, Charles Tottenham became the Lord of Loftus Hall after taking on the name of his wife, Anne Loftus upon their marriage. Together, they had six children, including a daughter named Anne for her mother. After his wife died, Charles married a second wife —his cousin Jane — and they lived together in the Hall for the remainder of their lives.
"One night, when the daughter Anne was older, a ship arrived bearing a handsome man who the family invited to stay with them. The young man and Anne grew close during his stay until a fateful card game changed the young woman’s life forever.
"During the game, Anne reportedly bent down to pick up a card that had fallen to the floor when under the table, she saw that the man had a cloven hooves for feet. She sat up, startled, with fear in her eyes, and immediately called out the man. With a wicked grin, he was said to have flown straight up out of his chair and out of the roof of the house, leaving a large hole in his wake."
THE HOLE IN THE CEILING IS SHOWN IN THIS VIDEO:
"Shortly thereafter, Anne became mentally ill and the family locked her away in her favorite room in the house where she sat night and day, refusing food, with her knees drawn up under her chin, looking out the window for the man to return.
"Anne soon died, but she had sat in that position for so long that the family was unable to straighten out her body after death and so she was buried with her knees drawn up to her chest. Though her body was taken away, Anne’s spirit has reportedly wandered the halls of the building ever since."
"Later in the 19th century, when the building was under repairs, the remains of an infant were recovered from the wall of that very room where Anne was sequestered by her family. It is theorized that Anne had a dalliance with the young, handsome man and was locked away when her family learned she was pregnant. It is theorized that she gave birth in that room but let the baby die in her illness and she soon followed the infant in death.
"Either way, it is widely believed that it is Anne who primarily haunts Loftus Hall, though visitors have reported the appearance of numerous spirits standing in the windows and roaming the halls at night. The claims have been so frequent that Loftus Hall has become known as the most haunted manor house in Ireland."
Loftus Hall In Modern Day
So, I know what you're thinking... "When can I move in?!"
Well, if you're seriously interested in buying the haunted mansion you can own it for the bargain price of only $2.87 million. You'll have your work cut out for you, though. The 27,000 square foot building and its 63 acres are in need of some serious T.L.C.
According to All That’s Interesting, you'll need to replace all 97 windows in the home because they're either missing or shattered — costing you at least $400,000.
If you want to splurge on the creepy house and throw your name in the spine-chilling hat that's probably covered in spiderwebs, send an email to the current owners at info@loftushall.ie.
By Matthew Sterner
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