Old Carlow Gaol

As you can see from the photo the Old Carlow Gaol is now a shopping centre but still worth a visit if you are interested in the paranormal or old gaols. Just below the dears head you can see the remains of where the gaolers use to hang people, and where all the townsfolk would gather to watch these hanging as if they were watching t.v. This use to be a spectators sports hundreds of people coming to watch somebody get hanged. A woman called Lucy Stle was the last woman to be hanged at Carlow Gaol. As you enter the main door you can see the original walls and stones from the gaol. When you enter the shopping centre the main building is amazing. Right in front of you is the main part of the gaol or the whore house which is now a lovely little restaurant. All around the inside are remnants of the gaol, old stones, windows and even the bars are still on a lot of the windows. There is a roof on the gaol now but years ago it was all open wit5h no roof which would have been a very interesting concept. It is a very small centre but worth the visit. The ghost of Lucy Slye is said to be still roaming this gaol as a few things have happened there throughout the night. Whether it is to be believed or not is entirely up to you. I think it is amazing that a shopping centre can be built into an old gaol but this is proof that it can and all the original work is still there and has not been touched which is brilliant. A well preserved place for many generations to come. If you are down around Carlow drop in and have a look, a fine example of what can be achieved without pulling down our old ruins.This is what should be done instead.

Donadea Castle Co. Kildare

Spectacularly hidden from view of the public eye by an ever expanding forest, Donadea Castle is by far the largest within this demise. It has a fairly modern apperance, appearing more as a stately home than a castle, but from the periferal view its jutting jigsaw shaped edges give away its castle origins. Windows appear to be an important factor as they appear vastly in the front but at the sides they are smaller but still appear at regular intervals along the wall. The surrounding forest appears vastly expanding from the four corners of the castle, which would have been a good  form of defense in earlier times as it is completely out of eye shot. Although the forest is acessible to the public at a cost of 4 euro, so leave your car on the street, the castle is not acessible. Views are only clear from the sides and from the front. Threr is however a gate in which the back of the castle can be seen. The castle is quite well preserved in comparison to other castles of its knid around the country. It is very easy to imagine how it would have appeared many years ago as the frontal facade has not deteriorated much. All in all it is an amazing place to visit.

Newtowntrim Cathederal

Just across the road from the priory lies this massive structure. Hidden away amongst trees and graves of all shapes and sizes is the cathedral at the end of the walkway. Again well taking care of and very clean to walk around this is a site to behold. With no roof and very little remaining it still makes a statement with what is left. As you walk to the end of the path, over a fence in the adjoining field are the remains of what look like a small church. Equally stunning to the cathedral it wasn't accessible from here. The Graves on the grounds were hundreds of years old just like the many graves that are scattered around this area. I can only imagine what this place looked like hundreds of years ago.

Priory of Saint John The Baptist

On a dangerous road just past a very narrow bridge lies these remains. Having climbed over the wall via a little set of stairs to my right is the remains of what looked like a round tower. Facing me was a massive ruin of what use to be a priory. There was a big part of the building still intact but it was gated off so i could'nt get into that part. To my left was another main part of the building which had railing on the top of it which was a bit strange. Walking through this structure it was very clean with little dirt. There were a few coves in and around to duck into and to think of what it was like in here with patients everywhere not knowing what had happened to them. A well kept remain and very clean, which only suggests that not a lot of people have visited this place which is not a bad thing.

Galleries Of Justice Nottingham

Although not a ruin this prison in Nottingham is disused and worthy of a mention.
Presided over by the Sheriff of Nottingham and we all know who he is, it was also the place Robin Hood was tried for his crimes against the rich, this building is absolutely amazing.  With many a haunting reported it is a very creepy place although would have loved to spend the night here. As you walk up the steps to the main entrance and in the door you find yourself in the main hall with a museum to the left which is a bit scary with its coffins and other torture devices, and also the spot where you can stand where people were hung many years before. In the main hall there is a torture device hanging from the ceiling which is a bit discomforting. The court room is a beautifully set out room with many balconies and all the original work.This is where the sheriff fed out all his punishment. There are many pits  scattered throughout the prison where prisoners were dumped from time to time to suffer in silence. From floor to floor there are different types of cells, some small, some big depending on how much you paid the Warden depended on what cell you received. Out in the court yard was the hang mans noose where one could observe the hangings of unfortunate souls as back then there were no walls so the public could view every hanging, some making a day of it and bringing a picnic. Again with many prisons most of it was closed to the public and as i said before usually the best parts. A huge prison by any standard only 20% of it was open to the public with the other 80% remaining under lock and key.

Old Church and Round tower Meath

Situated on a small piece of land surrounded by railing, this church and what is left of the tower is a fine example of a well preserved site. Open to whoever wishes to view it the church is without a roof, the tower has no top but are well kept and very safe to view from inside and out. Although you can only enter the church it is still a little hidden treasure. The ground in the church is well laid out and very smooth compared to a lot of other ruins which are full of stones and mud. Well worth the visit if you like this sort of thing and it is not a place that would be visited a lot, and on any given day the chances of you been alone are nearly 100%. The road outside this site is very dangerous with hidden bends and sharp turns so be very careful. The only space to park is a little space in front of the main gate and the road has a major blind spot there, but don't let that stop you from visiting this remarkable site.

Cork Gaol

Cork Gaol is a splendid building and very eerie. A good drive from Dublin it stands in a small part of the city. The entrance which can be seen in the picture, to the gaol is a big castle like entrance which when you enter it you head up big stairs and in towards the main building itself. Inside the main gaol it looks like a lot of other gaols around the country e.g Wicklow Gaol and Kilmanham Gaol but a little bigger than wicklow and a little smaller than Kilmanham. A few of the corridors are closed off to the public which was a bit of a disappointment, as we all know they are usually the best ones. As you walk around the gaol with the manual that you are given at the start of the tour explaining what each prisoners name was and why they where there it gives you time to think about what it must have been like. There are also life like mannequins in the cells to make it more authentic. At the end of the tour you enter a big hall with a dome roof and watch a video of the history of the gaol and the prisoners that were once held there. The grounds are spectacular and you can have a walk around them to see for yourself. A beautiful gaol and a must for any one who is interested in ghosts, or old building as there have been many reports of ghostly activity. Go and check it out and see can you discover anything.

Trim Castle

Situated in the lovely town of Trim, this is one of the biggest and more spectacular castles i have seen. The sheer size of the walls surrounding this structure are a sight let alone the actual castle itself. Surrounded by water, again for defensive purposes there are gates that lead  to the main entrance but the walk around the small park to the side is enough if you want some amazing pictures. There are signs explaining the different aspects if the walls and castle with illustrations showing what it was like around that time. As you look through the many gaps in the walls the castle is visible for all to see as it is situated on top of a small hill. Breathtaking and beautiful it stands therein all its glory and well protected from attack. Facing Trim Castle on another hill are the remnants of an old church which stretches into the sky. Also well protected from attack you can see the castle very clear from this vantage point, even better than ground level and a great opportunity for some pictures. The grass surrounding the castle is a bit marshy so i wouldn't wear good shoes if you want to get close to the River it is very misleading until your standing in it and that's when you find out. Directly behind you is the river that would have given access to the many ships and visitors to this great castle. All in all a great day out.

Williamstown House

Deep in the heart of the countryside lies this extraordinary Victorian house. Three stories high this is the biggest building i have been to by far. In major decay it is such a shame that buildings like this are left to go to waste, but to have seen this house in all its glory would have been something to behold. As you enter the back of the house it looks even bigger than it does from the front. With many more windows and doors and even an outhouse. Although most of the house was inaccessible with some of the roof falling down, doors off their hinges and a lot of rubble blocking doors. There is a big stairs to the left as you walk in the door but was a little to unstable to go up to the first floor, if it still existed. Past the stairs and to the left was a big room which looked like a dining room at one stage with a fire place to the left in the room and another door which looked like it went to another room but was just a cupboard. There were many rooms to the sides and without a torch you were lost, but from what i saw a lot of wildlife had made this house home. From the outside it was visible that not a lot of the roof remained. From the inside the damage was clear even more. The two pillars on each side of the door once represented this grand house and estate. This was a very eerie and somewhat scary place to be inside with creeks and bangs every few seconds, possibly the wildlife, possibly something else.Whatever it was has made one of the most beautiful derelict houses i have ever seen home, i only wish i could make it home to.

Piltown house

By no means was it easy to find or access this house. Off the beaten track and surrounded by woodland stands this amazing decaying old victorian house. With every step you took a dangerous one and every bit of step, path and other covered in overgrowth this was a challenge to explore this fine location. The size of this house cannot be described with words, it has to be seen to be believed. As you enter from the front there is a statue of the virgin mary standing high facing the house which was a bit unnerving but as you looked forward what we came for was standing right in front of us with its pillars and hughe doors and massive staircases which brought you inside. Just below us was the basement which could be seen from the outside but was a bit of a drop to explore. When we approched the front door the decay and damage from years of neglect was truly visible, and it is a pity because this once was a sight to behold. Inside the front door the floors had collapsed, the ceilings were through the floors, the doors had fallen off and were now in the massive pits left in the floor by the falling ceilings. The decoration inside the main hall was beautiful but access to any other part of the house was impossible due to the fact there were no more floors and the ceiling above me was hanging a bit so i did'nt really want to hang around for long. This can be access from the road but beware there is a gun club that uses the grounds as a firing range, unfortunetly we did'nt find out until we left. I am glad i seen this house as places like this should not be forgotten.

The Hell Fire Club

Perched on top of a mountain high up in Dublin, it is a bit of a walk to get to this  infamous structure. On a nice day it is beautiful, on a bad day it would'nt be worth your while going up to it. As you approach the top of the hill it is a strange and exciting prospect to see this building in all its glory and to think how strange  a place this was to build a building in the middle of nowhere. Inside it is very dark and damp with strong smells of decay but a fasinating place to visit considering its long and checkered past with prostitutes, devil worship and secret meetings for men to divulge in their secret desires. As it is so isolated it does attract some strange people so be careful if you choose to venture up there. Inside you will find two floors with crumbling stairs to the top. There are many windows which offer differant view of Dublin on a clear day. NEVER go alone and make sure you dont leave anything visible in your car. As you look around the many rooms this ruin has to offer one can only imagine what use to go on in this place, and still does. It hyas been there for many years and will be for many many more.

Charleville Castle

In the heart of Offaly and down a very long driveway which has a forest on each side with trees that are over 3000 years old, intimidating is not the word lies this beautiful castle in a courtyard at the end of the drive. Although some of the castle is not inhabitable there are trustees that do live there and run  tours of the castle daily. There has been many a haunting experienced and reported here which just adds to the excitement of the visit. As you enter the massive doors at the front you are confronted with a huge stairs, which some years ago was the scene of a tragic accident when a little girl fell to her death while playing there. Her ghost and presence has been seen and felt on these stairs many times. The castle is so interesting and steeped in history it is definatly worth a look. It was the former site of a druid burial ground and in the forest is a druids circle which not a lot of people will venture to. The dungeon is also a dark and gloomy place where the ghost of an angry and intimidating man is said to haunt. Up the stairs lies the nursery where it is said at times childrens cries and laughter can be heard. This castle is one of the most stunning and beautiful castles that i have ever seen that can still be visited and i cant wait to go and see it again. There are also concerts and shows held in this venue which is very interesting, so if you wanted to kill two birds with the one stone go and see a show whilst being in awe of this magnificent place.

Lynches Castle Meath

Yet again another beautiful remanant of a time past, this castle lies on farmland in the middle of Meath. On private property and with permission i venture up a long driveway and veer left onto the farmland which of course you need good shoes for or your in trouble. As i turn there in front of me is the magnificent structure that i came to see covered in trees which i have never seen before. Surrounded by a mote to protect it from attack all those many years ago, to the back of the castle also lies a church which is also in ruins. It is hard to believe what this would have looked like back in the day but up close and personal it was still an intimidating site. As i enter it is dark and dangerous with no roof and the sounds of birds whistling and flying around. There are many rooms in here but all are badly decayed but still remarkable and worth the trip. To the side there is a long and winding and very narrow staircase which when at the top the view is absolutely beautiful, but if you are afraid of heights which i am not but still felt very vulnerable up there i would not go up.

The sheer scale of this structure cannot be appreciated unless you are standing right underneath it but i am glad i went to see it and will never forget it.