A Photo Tour of Leap Castle
The team from Project Dreamscape had the honor to visit Leap Castle, which is famously known as the “most haunted castle in Ireland”. That’s a pretty big claim, as there are a lot of castles in Ireland and most of them are haunted. (And really, is there such a thing as a castle that’s not haunted?)
Sean Ryan, the owner of Leap Castle, was kind enough to meet with us and show us this amazing landmark. He is a musician and has taken up the task of restoring it. The crumbling structure is in various states of repair, and we saw many sides to this magnificent structure.
Let’s Begin the Photo Tour of Leap Castle
The façade of Leap Castle. It appeared mordant and foreboding, yet it was eerily beautiful.
Inside the conservatory on the back of Leap Castle. One can see for miles with a view of the rolling hills all around–which is what you need to protect a fortress from invaders.
Another view inside the conservatory. This place was beautiful and magical.
This painting depicts Sean Ryan and his whistle, along with the magic of Leap Castle around him.
The stag head above the fireplace at Leap Castle. During our visit with Sean Ryan, he spoke about the endangered red deer of Ireland. They almost went extinct at the turn of the century. Currently their numbers are back up to around 1000. This is not a red deer, though.
Another cozy nook–and also a great example of how thick the castle walls are. To protect from trebuchets and catapults, the fortress needed to be impenetrable.
Sean Ryan and Vanta M. Black from Project Dreamscape meet and discuss his real oubliette, the inspiration for Black’s thriller, Oubliette.
Hand-painted art on the wall.
View over a very decrepit portion of Leap Castle from a window in the Bloody Chapel.
A first glimpse into the oubliette at Leap Castle.
Vanta M. Black sits at cusp of the oubliette at Leap Castle. This place is the inspiration for her book, Oubliette–A Forgotten Little Place
A deeper look into the depths of the oubliette at Leap Castle. The step ladder actually leads to a platform, and just beyond it, the pit drops off. In the 1920’s bones from over 150 individuals were removed from it. A pocket watch from the mid 1800’s revealed how recent the oubliette may have claimed some of its victims.
A look over the rolling green Irish hills from inside the Bloody Chapel at Leap Castle.
The tour guide tells stories about the Bloody Chapel and the oubliette. (notice the man with the grey beard’s upward glance, and what happens in the next photo…)
An orb appears above the tour guide’s head. See how the man with the grey beard seems to have sensed or seen it, even before it was there? Some people who are inclined to believe in ghosts, might think the Bloody Chapel at Leap Castle is haunted…
A cranny across from the oubliette. Apparently a family of owls lived there, preventing visitors to the oubliette for some time.
Close up of the walls in the Bloody Chapel at Leap Castle. Imagine the things that creep and crawl and hide in those crevices. This is not a place for those afraid of spiders.
The team from Project Dreamscape inside the Bloody Chapel which houses the oubliette at Leap Castle.
Another view of Leap Castle. Ivy hugs the ruins and turns this desolated side into something green and alive.
Once last look as we drive away. Leap Castle is tucked in a thicket and difficult to discern from the road.
To learn more about Leap Castle and its history, click here, and visit the Leap Castle Official Website.
what do you think?