A paranormal investigation that left more questions than answers in the majestic Oranmore Castle, writes JOHN AMBROSE MARTIN of Soul-o Paranormal
Standing sentinel over the waters of Galway Bay, Oranmore Castle began as a 15th-century tower house, built by the Clanricarde branch of the powerful de Burgo family.
Some believe its foundations stretch even deeper into history, resting atop Norman stonework from the 13th century.
Its four storeys, spiral stair turret and sea-facing gun loops were crafted for defence as much as dominion.
In 1642, during the Confederate Wars, Galway rose against English control. Oranmore became a vital supply stronghold, feeding men and munitions into the besieged city by sea.
For two years it held firm, until surrendering to Parliamentarian forces in 1643.
After the Restoration of Charles II, the castle returned to Clanricarde hands.
By 1666, it passed to the Athy family, serving as their seat for nearly two centuries before falling into ruin in 1853.
It slept in silence until 1947, when Lady Anita Leslie, cousin to Winston Churchill, purchased the derelict tower for £200.
She reroofed it, restored its dignity, and her descendants still live there today.
Whispers in the Stone
Though quieter than Ireland’s more infamous haunted castles, Oranmore carries its own spectral weight.
Fishermen crossing the bay speak of muffled cries drifting over the tide, as if drowned sailors still seek land.
Locals whisper of pale lights flickering in the tower windows when the rooms lie empty.
Some say the spiral stair holds the imprint of soldiers from the siege, forever pacing up and down, bound to their watch.
Others believe a child once lost in the castle still climbs those steps, small footsteps echoing toward rooms above.
Footsteps That Never Fade
When Soul-o Paranormal investigated Oranmore, we learned that silence can be deceiving.
We split the team. Three of us took the third floor, calling out into the stillness, while two more sat by the fire in the main hall.
The stone stairwell was quiet, until suddenly, footsteps began climbing the spiral, deliberate and heavy, growing louder with each scrape.
They reached the door itself. Believing it was one of our teammates, we rushed to open it… Nothing.
I ran down the stairs to the ground floor.
The other remaining team members sat undisturbed by the fire, teacups in hand, having heard nothing at all.
Yet three of us upstairs had listened to those steps approach as clearly as the tide breaking against the rocks.
Was it the sentry, still making his rounds centuries later?
A lost child’s spirit, climbing endlessly toward home?
Or something older, carved into the memory of the stones themselves?
Oranmore Castle may not scream with hauntings like other strongholds, but not every shadow is cast by light.
Some footsteps belong to the past, still climbing.
Would you walk those stairs in the dark, not knowing who, or what, might meet you at the door?
Have you experienced ghostly encounters at Oranmore Castle or another haunted place in Ireland? Tell us in the comments section!
