Nothing but hardcore ghost huntin'


Ireland

This was my first visit to Ireland . A land where the locals hold sacred the mounds of earth encircled by trees called Fairy Rings . A place where river spirits and banshees still echo in the minds of many . An enchanted atmosphere with the kindest people I have come to meet on any of my travels . Castles , towers and ancient burial sites litter the landscape as you drive down the back country roads . I flew into Glasgow and spent the night with my favorite host in Scotland . A dear woman named Margaret who resides in Edinburgh . When staying at Margaret's one feels like a pampered puppy . Her Scottish hospitality is unrivaled . The next morning was the drive to meet the ferry at Stranraer which sits at the head of Loch Ryan . The journey across the sea took less than two hours . Extremely choppy waters made the crossing quite an event . As the ferry shifted from side to side the crashing of dishes hitting the floor on the upper decks made me question if I should have flown into Dublin . Docking in Belfast and then onto Dublin to follow the back roads to Lusmaugh , Bannagher in county Offaly . I chose this location for the immediate access to the specific castles in the radius of fifty miles in all directions . Offaly is located in the center of the lower half of Ireland . I highly recommend making your reservations to stay with Marian McDonald in the 150 year old four bedroom cottage named Chestnut on the River Shannon . You can contact Marian through her website Chestnut Cottage . A multitude of haunted castles and ruins lie in abundance in any direction you choose to drive . When traveling the back roads of Ireland plan on every destination to take twice the driving time due to the curvaceous hilly roads . Below are the links to the pages of my visit . Allow yourself at the least two weeks to see Ireland by car . I'm planning my return later this year for a lengthier visit .

Charleville Forest Castle

Trees , Gates and Statuary of Charleville Forest

Clonony Castle

Kinnity Castle

Leap Castle

Cemeteries , Towers and Castle Ruins