Guides
Discover the most haunted places in Dublin
Media credit@wildlifedefence
Media credit@wildlifedefence
Dublin’s mix of heritage and hedonism makes it a great weekend getaway, but especially at Halloween when a thousand years of stories and superstitions combine to bring the city’s haunted history to life.
The Irish have been celebrating Halloween for over a millennium, although then it was the pagan festival of Samhain or ‘summer’s end’, when the days became darker, and bonfires would be lit to ward off evil spirits. In subsequent centuries each episode of tumult and upheaval came with a macabre interpretation – from Viking violence and deathly plagues to religious conflict and rebel executions – as well as plenty of ghostly sightings and eerie superstitions. It’s hardly surprising that a city with such a rich fascination for the grotesque would produce Dracula, thanks to the vivid imagination of Dublin-born Bram Stoker. Add to that the vast number of haunted sites, abandoned buildings and ruins and the fact that we’re allegedly the land of fairies, ghosts and banshees and it gives us quite the edge on eerie destinations.
From haunted sites to spine-tingling ghost tours, this is our list of Dublin’s spookiest experiences.
Haunted Sites
1. The Hellfire Club
Nowhere in Dublin has as sinister a legacy as the Hellfire Club, a now ruined hunting lodge in the Dublin Mountains just south of Rathfarnham. The stones used in its construction were taken from a nearby Neolithic passage tomb; according to legend, this angered the local spirits and led to the early death of its owner, William Conolly, only four years after it was completed in 1725. The building then passed into the hands of Richard Parsons, who reputedly dabbled in black magic. He was also the founder of the Hellfire Club, whose members were known to engage in all kinds of debauchery. The story goes that the Devil appeared at one of their card games – only to escape through the roof when someone spotted he had hooves instead of feet. Devilish goings on have been rife ever since, as spooked visitors have reported hearing voices and having necklaces ripped from around their necks.
Media captionAre you brave enough to visit Hellfire Club after dark?
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2. Kilmainham Gaol
Spooky happenings and chilling history lessons are the fare at Kilmainham Gaol, a once-notorious prison where some of the country’s most celebrated political and military figures were held. These include the leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916, who spent their last days here before meeting a grisly end in the prison courtyard. Legend has it that if you pay careful attention you might hear the disembodied footsteps of parading soldiers, cell doors slamming and the flickering of the chapel lights. As well as a visit to the cells and the courtyard where the Rising leaders were executed, you will also see the location of the public hangings that took place at the jail’s entrance.
Media captionStep inside Kilmainham Goal where you may meet a ghost or two.
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3. Glasnevin Cemetery
It’s hardly surprising that Ireland’s largest burial site, Glasnevin Cemetery, should have some ghoulish associations, but the most famous of the disturbed souls reputed to haunt the famous graveyard is that of a Newfoundland dog. He belonged to ship’s captain John McNeill Boyd, who died in 1861 during a sea rescue; the poor pet is said to have starved to death because he wouldn’t leave his master’s headstone. The dog’s ghost still roams the cemetery at night and he has also been sighted near the statue of Boyd that is in St Patrick’s Cathedral. You can visit the cemetery on your own, or join in on the Irish History Tour that leads you through the resting places of some of Glasnevin's most famous souls.
Media captionWalk amongst the tombstones at Glasnevin Cemetery.
4. John Kavanagh’s ‘The Gravediggers’
Some of Dublin’s oldest pubs are reportedly spirit favourites, but if anywhere is likely to be haunted, it’s one that is right next to Glasnevin Cemetery. John Kavanagh’s is where thirsty gravediggers from Glasnevin cemetery came to refuel (hence its moniker ‘The Gravediggers’), throwing a customary shovel of earth against the pub’s wall to ‘scare up a pint’. It’s also rumoured that some of the million-plus Irish souls buried next door regularly frequent the pub, but in particular an elderly gentleman in a tweed suit who sips his pint quietly before disappearing through the wall back to his resting place next door.
Media captionGrab a pint at Gravediggers with friends and keep an eye out for any ghouls.
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5. The Brazen Head
The 12th century Brazen Head is Dublin’s oldest pub and has borne witness to 800 years of Dublin history, but its reputation as a spot for a paranormal pint dates back to 1803 and the hanging of Irish rebel Robert Emmet. The pub was where he planned his ill-fated rebellion against British rule, which ended up with him hanged and beheaded on nearby Thomas Street. The gory story goes that the blood ran down the hill to his favourite watering hole, and if you stick around until closing time you might catch him in his favourite spot in the corner watching out for his enemies.
Media captionStop in for a drink at Dublin's oldest pub where you may catch some paranormal happenings.
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6. Malahide Castle
A stroll around Malahide Castle and Gardens makes for a pleasant day out, but there’s a whole other side to the former demesne of the mighty Talbot Family. Countless visitors have experienced spine-tingling encounters with its resident ghosts: court jester Puck, Miles Corbett (one of the regicides who signed the execution order of Charles I in 1649) and the White Lady, who reportedly leaves her painting to wander the corridors and rooms of the castle. Another spectral wanderer is Lord Galtrim, who was killed on his wedding day in 1429 only for his bride-to-be Maud Plunkett to marry his rival (and reputed killer). He roams the corridors groaning in anguish, where he occasionally meets ghostly Maud, who is busy chasing her second husband after one of their fights!
Media captionVisit Malahide Castle where you may spot a ghost or two.
7. Trinity College
Founded in 1592, Trinity College has a long history and its fair share of ghoulish connections, including Bram Stoker, who attended the university for two years from 1866. The ghost of former lecturer Edward Ford is said to roam the Rubrics, the oldest building within the college and the only remaining structure of the original Library Square. Ford was deeply unpopular with the undergraduates, and in 1734 he was shot by a group of drunk and disgruntled students: before he died he refused to give up the identity of his killers, saying “I do not know, but God forgive them, I do.” Instead, Ford’s revenge was to have his ghost wander the side of the Rubrics at dusk, “dressed in wig, gown and knee breeches.”
Media captionVisit the Rubrics building and see Edward Ford.
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Haunted Tours
Keen to get spooked but don’t want to do it alone? There are a handful of ghost tours that you can join – not only will you be in good company but you’ll learn plenty of gory tales along the way.
Sandemans Dublin Dark Side Tour
A city with as old and violent a history as Dublin has no shortage of reports of spirited encounters and vengeful ghosts, and the two-and-a-half-hour Sandemans Dublin Dark Side Tour looks to make the most of the city’s macabre past. The knowledgeable and entertaining guides explore church graveyards and narrow back alleys, all the while regaling you with tales of brothel owners and serial killers, cannibals and murderers.
Hidden Dublin Walks: Haunted History Walking Tour
This 90-minute Haunted History Walking Tour uncovers the grittier side of the city’s cobbled streets with tales of murder and mayhem. You’ll learn about notorious brothel owner Darkey Kelly, ‘the Witch’, who apparently murdered five men and her gruesome death at the stake, ghostly goings-on at the Hellfire Club and how Dublin’s ‘hell’ got its name. The tour is run by guides from Paranormal Study and Investigation of Ireland so expect plenty of supernatural surprises.
Gravedigger Ghost Bus Tour
The Gravedigger Ghost Bus Tour is a two-hour tour of the city’s most haunted sites, including Trinity College and Glasnevin Cemetery, where you stop for a drink and a dark tale in the Gravedigger’s bar next door. The bus journey itself sets the spectral scene with liberal use of strobe lights, smoke and other special effects. There’s also the option of taking the Ghost Ship Bus, which is built to give the feeling of being on a coffin ship during the Great Famine, stopping at ghoulish locations such as the Black Church, Croppies' Acre, and Marsh's Library.
Ghostbus Tour by DoDublin Tours
Ghostbus Tour by DoDublin Tours is the first of its kind in the world, exploring the city’s underbelly with plenty of jump scares and theatrical interaction with real life actors. The highly entertaining two-hour tour brings the city’s macabre history to life: get a crash course in the art of body snatching and hear of sinister Dublin surgeon Dr Clossey, who carries a bucket of human entrails through the hallways of the Royal College of Surgeons. Stops include a secret city graveyard, dark vaults at Dublin Castle and the haunted steps of St Audoen's Church, where the ghost of serial killer Darkey Kelly apparently roams. If you have brave kids obsessed with all things spooky, DoDublin also put on a kid-friendly Ghostbus Tour.
Media captionImmerse yourself in Dublin's dark history with the Ghostbus tour.
Discover more of Dubin's past
After delving into the haunted history of Dublin, explore the capital's literary history.
