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| Charleville Castle in Tullamore |
Charleville Castle in Tullamore, Co. Offaly will play host to a special open paranormal investigation night on Saturday, February 21. The night is being held to raise money for the castle’s restoration fund as well as the popular arts and culture festival 'Shakefest' which takes place at the castle each year.
Shakefest will mark its 10th anniversary at Charleville Castle this May, and the paranormal night will go some way to fund the community run festival. The night will be led by David Wenger from the Paranormal Research Association of Ireland, and a Shakefest statement describes the event as “a great opportunity to get acquainted with the ghosts and unexplainable happenings at the historical Offaly site.”
Participants will begin to arrive at the Tullamore castle at 7pm on Saturday, February 21, and will be split into two or three groups. David Wenger will then take you through the specialist equipment that will be used by the investigators when trying to contact the castle’s spirit world. While the group settles in, the other castle and paranormal volunteers will share their personal stories of spirit contact, as well as explaining some of the castle’s rich history. The groups will then be led around the castle to separate rooms, including the dungeons, children’s nursery, and library.
The attendance price for this event is €60 per person, and that includes a complete overnight experience at the castle. Sleeping bags and other sleeping materials must be provided by participants personally. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, the price for a couple is €100. If you would like to attend the investigation and leave at 3am rather than stay overnight, that can be arranged for a price of €45 per person. A 50% deposit is required when booking to hold your place, and group rates are available upon request.
Charleville Castle has long been associated with paranormal activity, attracting investigators from all over the world. The castle was built between 1800 and 1809 by Francis Johnston, the same architect responsible for the design of Dublin’s GPO. The source of its paranormal reputation stems primarily from one ill-fated little girl, and the tragic circumstances of her death. Her name was Harriet, and she was the daughter of the 3rd Earl of Charleville. In April 1861, Harriet was expecting her friends and relations for a mid-summer party, and was playing in the castle’s nursery. The nursery is located on the third floor of a staircase that turns on itself through the centre of the castle. Harriet was looking over the railing for her friends, but the railing was low, and she leaned over too far and fell to her death.
To find out more about this story, or experience Charleville Castle for yourself, contact Terri at info@shakefest.net. Participants are warned to wrap up warm, and not to forget that all important torch. The lights go out just before 9pm so the spooky tour can be conducted in complete darkness.
If you would like to read the feature I wrote following my stay at Charleville Castle with paranormal investigators in February 2013, just follow this link: http://inoffaly.blogspot.ie/2015/02/offalys-haunted-staircase-in-woods.html
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