The 400-year-old castle is said to be haunted by the ghost of Lady Isabella Shaw
Ballygally Castle is the most haunted location in Northern Ireland
Are you familiar with the tale of the ghost that haunts a 400-year-old castle, named one of the ‘most haunted’ attractions in the world?
A recent study named Ballygally Castle, located just outside Larne, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland, as the fourth spookiest spot in the UK, making it the most haunted location in Northern Ireland.
As Halloween is quickly approaching, those intrigued by the paranormal or seeking a good fright might be searching for places to visit this October.
That’s why a quaint castle on the Antrim coast, now renowned for its top-notch bistro and as a stunning wedding venue, has earned a reputation as one of Northern Ireland’s most haunted locations.
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Ballygally Castle, photographed circa 1890(Image: London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Constructed in 1625 by John Shaw and currently operating as a hotel, Ballygally is known for its infamous ‘Ghost Room’ and the spirit of Lady Isabella, reports Belfast Live.
The Ballygally Castle Hotel website reveals that the Shaws resided in the castle for several generations before encountering business troubles and ultimately losing their castle.
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In 1814, Ballygally Castle was home to Rev Thomas Alexander, and by the 1830s, it was leased to the coastguard in an attempt to “thwart smugglers” in the area.
As for how the castle gained its haunted status, the hotel website shares the story of its well-known ‘ghost room’, which guests are welcome to visit.
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The statement read: “Ballygally’s most famous phantom is that of the tragic Lady Isabella Shaw. After giving birth to a daughter, she fell out of favor with her husband Lord James Shaw. He took the baby from her and locked her in a small room at the top with a turret.
“Starving and tormented by her baby’s cries, Isabella tried to escape through a window but fell to her death on the rocks below.
“Apparently she still wanders the hotel corridors at night knocking on doors, perhaps still searching for her little girl.
“Another reported apparition is that of a former nineteenth-century resident of the castle, Madame Nixon. Her silk skirts can be heard rustling as she walks the castle at night.”
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