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Leap Castle, Ireland

Leap Castle is located on County Offaly, in the center of the island of Ireland. The castle was originally built in the 14th or 15th centuries and has a long and bloody history. Today it is commonly known as one of the most haunted castles in Europe.

Leap Castle was the scene of many dreadful deeds and is famous for its eerie apparitions. One of the most famous events in the castle's history is the story of an unfortunate priest who was stabbed to death by his brother while saying Mass. The room where this occurred is now known as the "Bloody Chapel." Perhaps even more terrifying is the idea of the deaths suffered by those left in the castle's 'oubliette'. Prisoners were thrown into this deep pit (with sharp spikes lining the floor) and left to starve or bleed to death. When workers cleaned out this section of the castle, it took them three trips to cart away all the human bones.

Leap castle was also the site of numerous sieges and battles. In 1922, during the Irish Civil War, it was completely gutted by fire. With such a violent history, it should not be surprising that the spirits haunting Leap Castle are reputedly some of the most terrifying in Ireland. Its most renowned inhabitant is the "smelly ghost", a spirit that takes a small, hunched form and supposedly smells of rotting corpses.

Leap Castle has been greatly restored by its current owners (the Ryan family), and the ghosts, while still supposedly present, are no longer considered malicious. Visitors interested in seeing the castle should call ahead to schedule a time that is convenient for the Ryans.