The child ghosts of Belfast haunt forgotten prisons, abandoned hospitals, and lonely roads, where history and tragedy blur into a chilling legend
Belfast’s haunted heritage brims with eerie tales of child ghosts and restless young spirits. From former orphanages and hospitals to historic homes, each location blends real-life tragedy with local folklore to create chilling legends.
Locals and ghost hunters alike have reported spirits of children wandering abandoned halls, crying out in the night, or appearing as fleeting apparitions.
In this article, we explore Belfast’s most infamous haunted sites linked to child ghosts, combining documented history, credible reports, and unsettling folklore that continue to draw those fascinated by ghost tourism and paranormal history.
Child Ghosts of Belfast
Crumlin Road Gaol
53-55 Crumlin Road, Belfast BT14 6ST
One of Belfast’s most notorious haunted sites is Crumlin Road Gaol, a Victorian prison that operated from 1846 to 1996.
The jail witnessed 17 executions and countless deaths within its walls, and today it is renowned for ghostly activity during its popular tours.
The historical record is clear: the gaol’s grim past is well documented, and its underground tunnel to the courthouse remains a key feature of guided tours.
Among the ghost stories told, one of the most haunting is the tale of a young condemned boy who, according to tour guides, took his own life rather than face execution.
Although no record of this boy’s death appears in prison archives, visitors frequently report hearing cries echoing from the cells at night.
Similarly, sightings of a ghostly little girl, nicknamed “Isabel,” in the tunnel are rooted in local lore rather than documented fact. Even so, these accounts add to the gaol’s reputation as a spine-chilling site where history and legend overlap.
Good Shepherd Convent
Ormeau Road, Ballynafeigh, Belfast BT7
In South Belfast’s Ballynafeigh area stands the former Good Shepherd Convent, once a home for troubled young women and girls.
Operating from the 1860s into the 20th century, it gained a grim reputation as one of Belfast’s most haunted orphanages, with tales of poltergeist activity and disembodied screams filling its deserted halls.
The convent’s history is beyond dispute. It was associated with a Magdalene laundry and an orphanage, both of which are documented in historical records.
However, the story of Ellen, a teenage girl said to have died after falling into a vat of boiling water, is purely folklore.
Many visitors and urban explorers have reported hearing her screams at night.
This blending of real institutional history and ghostly legend has made the convent one of Belfast’s most infamous paranormal landmarks.
Lucifer’s Match Factory
Millfield Place, Belfast BT12
Not all of Belfast’s child ghost legends stem from orphanages or hospitals. Some, like the haunting of Lucifer’s Match Factory, are rooted in industrial tragedy.
In 1882, a devastating fire broke out at the factory on Millfield Place. The blaze, sparked by chemicals, trapped four child workers inside, including the manager’s daughter.
Contemporary newspaper reports confirm these deaths and the widespread shock they caused in the city.
The ghostly accounts came later. For years after the fire, locals claimed they could hear the cries of children from the factory at night, a story passed down through generations until the building’s demolition.
While there is no historical record of these hauntings, the documented tragedy provides a chilling foundation for one of Belfast’s most unsettling ghost tales.
Lady Dixon Park (Malone Road)
224 Upper Malone Road, Belfast BT17 9LA
Belfast also lays claim to one of the UK’s eeriest haunted roads.
On the old Malone Road, near the entrance to Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, drivers have reported a terrifying apparition.
Witnesses say a woman carrying a baby suddenly leaps into the road at night, only to vanish when they stop to investigate.
Unlike other sites, there is no historical record of a mother and infant drowning in this area, suggesting this tale is purely folkloric.
Nevertheless, the story’s persistence has given it a place in Belfast’s ghost lore.
In 2023, the road was even named Northern Ireland’s “creepiest” haunted location, thanks to repeated reports of this phantom mother and child.
Clifton Street Poor House
16 Clifton Street, Belfast BT13 1AA
On Clifton Street in North Belfast stands one of the city’s oldest charitable institutions.
Built in 1774, the Belfast Poor House served as a refuge for the destitute, housing countless orphans and abandoned children over the centuries. Its long history of poverty and suffering has left deep marks – and, many believe, lingering spirits.
Visitors and staff have reported spectral sightings of small shadowy figures slipping through the corridors and disappearing around corners.
Others speak of faint cries in the dead of night, or the sound of light footsteps on empty staircases.
Some paranormal investigators claim that the most active areas are the upper floors where children once slept, as if their restless presence still clings to the building.
Despite modern renovations, Clifton Street Poor House remains one of Belfast’s most atmospheric and unsettling sites.
For many, it is a place where the forgotten children of Belfast’s past still wander, their stories written not in history books but in ghostly echoes that refuse to fade.
Which story of the child ghosts of Belfast chills you the most – and would you brave these haunted places yourself? Tell us in the comments.
