Leap Castle

Leap Castle has a long history of murder and torture. Over 400 years ago, this was the home and stronghold of the O'Carroll family. They had hired mercenaries to kill their enemies, only to kill the soldiers when they came seeking payment.

There was a special room called the Oubliette. It was a windowless room without a floor that lead to the dungeon below. If they wanted to kill you, they would ask you upstairs. When you least expect it, they would push you into the Oubliette. You would fall down to the dungeon, where large spikes waited to impale you. The O'Carrolls would happily listen to your tortured screams as you bled to death.

In the early 1990s, workmen were cleaning out the castle. They found the hidden Oubliette and looked down. They were shocked to see hundreds of bodies. It took three cart loads to remove the victims.

There was actually a fight between two O'Carroll brothers. On was a warrior, the other was a priest. There was great tension between them. One night, that tension turned into violence. The priest was saying mass in the chapel when his brother attacked him. He skewered the priest through the heart and he died on the alter.

It being a brother verses brother fight was bad enough, however, it occurred during a sacred religious rite. This was seen as an act against God. Since then, the room it happened in has been called the Bloody Chapel and people believe the castle to be cursed.

A few years back, a man saw a ghostly figure, dressed as a priest, outside of the Bloody Chapel. The walked to wards him and vanished right before his eyes.

According to local legend, a daughter of the O'Carrolls fell in love with a man named Darby. He just so happened to be a prisoner in the dungeon. She would often sneak him food and later planned for his escape. However, her brother and heir to the family caught them on the staircase. He raised the alarm and Darby ran him through with his sword. The two lovers lept to freedom from the battlements. Through the murder of her brother, she became the heiress of Leap Castle.

The spirits of a young girl is sometimes seen. She is believed to be the daughter of a one-time woner of the dreaded Castle.

Years after the daughter and her prisoner-lover, another girl lived in Leap Castle. Her father wanted her to we'd a wealthy gentleman. However, she had fallen in love with a poor farmer boy. When her father found out, he killed the boy. She was devastated. One day, she killed her father in his sleep. The next night, she was pushed from the battlements by a mysterious force and died.

One day, a girl saw a woman in old style clothing standing on the staircase. When she asked her parents who the girl was, the woman disappeared. On another occasion, an elderly woman saw a girl fall from the battlements. The woman screamed when the girl vanished before hitting the ground.

By late 19th century, Johnathan and Mildred Darby where living in the castle. Mildred became interested in the spiritual happenings in the castle. She turned to the occult, often holding black magic rituals in the dungeon.

It is said that Mildred accidentally called forth a ferocious elemental demon. One night, she was in the Gallery when a cold hand touched her shoulder. She turned around and saw a frightening sight. Standing before her was something that looked like a cross between man and beast. It was hunched over and had black pits for eyes. The smell reminded her of a rotting corpse.

Since Mildred's dark rituals, Leap Castle was never the same. Locals try to avoid it after sunset, afraid of the evils within. Visitors hear eerie screams and moans coming from the castle at night and see lights on top of it. Across the fields, farmers could see the Bloody Chapel lit up, as if hundreds of ticketing candles were alight inside. Those brave enough to enter have encountered an alarming woman in a billowing red ballgown.

Here is a video from the show, Ghost Hunters. They captured some strange events at Leap Castle. Enjoy.

*NOTE: This blogger doesn't believe in the "science" that the members of TAPS use to justify their finds. So, I kindly ask you to refrain from saying how great they are. However, due to the fact that they have such a loyal following, I also kindly ask you to keep your hateful comments to yourself. They were only mentioned due to the fact that they had a connection to Leap Castle. If you have anything to say against/for TAPS, try looking for a group of individuals on a chat group that agrees with you so you dont spam this blog.Thank you.*