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.