Castle Leslie - Ghost Story
The striking castle nestled in 1000 acres of enchanting Irish countryside between Dublin and Belfast, is home to the Leslie Family and one of the last great Irish estates still in the hands of its founders. Its spectacularly decorated rooms, housing glorious antique furniture and many with landscape views from vast bay windows, make for the most delightful settings for luxury breaks in Ireland. A popular choice of room within the castle, The Red Room, is said to be haunted by a former resident, Norman Leslie…
Norman was sadly killed on the battlefields of France during World War One in 1914 and a few weeks following his death is said to have appeared ‘as if in a cloud of light’ to his mother, Lady Marjorie Leslie, who awoke to see him at her bedside at a chest of drawers reading through his letters, as if he was searching for one in particular. Lady Marjorie sat up in bed with a start, and said, “Why Norman – what are you doing here?” He simply turned to her and smiled, then faded away.
Guests of the castle staying in The Red Room may still be woken by the shuffling of paper during the night, and Norman values his peace and quiet so much so that it is said he is fond of hushing guests who make too much noise. “Shh!”
There have been other spooky activities witnessed at the castle, including a monk seen in the banquet hall, where there have also been reports of a child crying, and a haunting which took place in the basement, where a member of staff looked up to find a grey man with a frightening expression approach her quickly and disappear within a few feet!
The haunting of The Mauve Bedroom is yet another story passed down from a previous lady of Castle Leslie, Lady Leonie. On her deathbed she was approached by, and had a conversation with, an old woman who then walked off and disappeared. The nurse caring for Lady Leonie at the time also saw her but didn’t react, assuming her a family member coming to pay her respects. After Lady Leonie’s funeral service, sat with the family in the Dining Room, the nurse looked up at a painting of an old woman whom she recognised as the same woman she’d seen in the bedroom. The family said this would have been impossible because the picture was of a Lady Constance, who died back in 1925…