Ghostly

Is Leap Castle in County Offaly, Ireland Haunted? Tucked into the quiet farmland of County Offaly, just north of the small town of Roscrea, sits a castle that has been unsettling visitors for the better part of eight hundred years. Leap Castle has survived clan warfare, a brother murdering a brother mid-Mass, the discovery of a pit holding over 150 human skeletons, a civil-war burning, and decades as a roofless ruin. This week, Rebecca dives into the legends of the Bloody Chapel, the oubliette, the Red Lady, the ghost children Emily and Charlotte, the Governess, and the bizarre entity known only as “the Elemental,” while Pat lays out the documented, true-crime-level history that makes this castle’s reputation almost too easy to believe. Is Leap Castle genuinely haunted, or is eight centuries of trauma just doing a very convincing impression of a haunting? You decide. What We Cover in This Episode The History How Leap Castle got its name — and the legend of the brothers’ deadly leap that decided who got to build it The O’Carroll succession war of 1532 and the murder of a priest at the altar of his own chapel The 19th-century discovery of a hidden oubliette beneath the chapel floor — and the three cartloads of human remains pulled out of it The 1922 burning of the castle during the Irish Civil War, and the fifty years it spent as a roofless ruin How the Ryan family rebuilt Leap Castle from a ruin into the private home — and haunted-tour destination — it is today The Hauntings Evidence #1 — The Bloody Chapel: the apparition of the murdered priest, Thaddeus, and EVP recordings of murmured prayers Evidence #2 — The Oubliette: the pit of forgotten prisoners, and the theory that disturbing their remains “woke” the castle Evidence #3 — The Elemental: Mildred Darby’s chilling first-person account of a grey, sheep-sized entity with a face unlike anything else in Irish folklore Evidence #4 — The Red Lady: the tragic spirit of an imprisoned woman, said to wander the upper floors in mourning Evidence #5 — Emily, Charlotte & the Governess: two ghost children and the nanny who still seems to be looking after them — and after blonde-haired guests Vote As always, it’s not up to us — it’s up to YOU. After listening, head to our social pages and tell us: which piece of evidence convinced you, and which one did Pat manage to talk you out of? Genuine haunting, or centuries of trauma playing tricks on the imagination? Cast your vote and join the conversation. Music & Sound Credits Music for this episode was performed by Michael Rivers. “Pat Facts” and “Ghost Story” themes by Mondo. “Time for a Debate” theme by Gail Gallagher — gailgallaghermusic.com Support Ghostly Podcast Love digging into the world’s most haunted locations with us? Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, early access, bonus investigations, and a say in which haunted location we cover next. Every pledge helps us keep the lights low and the questions coming. Become a Ghostly Patron Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen — it’s the easiest way to support the show and help other ghost-story lovers find us. Sources Leap Castle — Wikipedia History — LeapCastle.net (Official Site) The O’Carrolls — LeapCastle.net The Irish Castle Where Workers Found Three Cartloads of Human Bones — Love Ireland A Journey Through Time: The History of Leap Castle — IrishHistory.com Leap Castle: Ireland’s Most Haunted — European Waterways Leap Castle County Offaly: Ireland’s Haunted Fortress — Connolly Cove The Bloody Chapel — LeapCastle.net (Official Site) The Elemental — LeapCastle.net (Official Site) The Red Lady — LeapCastle.net (Official Site) Emily & Charlotte — LeapCastle.net (Official Site) Are you ready to be spooked by Leap Castle? — Ireland.com Leap Castle is the most haunted castle in Ireland and this story proves it — Irish Central The Most Haunted Castle in Ireland | Irish Ghost Stories — Emerald Isle The Ghosts of Leap Castle, Roscrea, Co. Offaly — Haunted Rooms Leap Castle Ireland: The Oubliette, the Elemental and Five Centuries of Violence — Haunted Silence The Governess of Leap Castle County Offaly: A Haunted Tale — Kinnitty.com Exploring the Paranormal at Leap Castle — Celtic Elegance The Haunting of Leap Castle: Ireland’s Most Haunted Fortress — Paranormal Case Files Haunted History: Dive Into The Secrets Of Leap Castle — Spirit Shack Leap Castle, Co Offaly: Ireland’s Most Haunted Castle — My Real Ireland Ireland’s Biggest Haunt – Leap Castle — Beyond the Bizarre

Is the Dead Children’s Playground in Huntsville, Alabama haunted? Episode Summary This week on Ghostly, we’re heading deep into northern Alabama to the oldest and largest cemetery in the state, Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, and the small, unassuming playground tucked against its limestone bluff that locals call The Dead Children’s Playground. Pat walks us through the cemetery’s history, from John Hunt’s 1804 cabin to the autumn of 1918 when the Spanish flu carried away hundreds of Madison County’s children. Rebecca brings the swings that move on their own at midnight, the little boy in suspenders nobody else could see, the spectral carriage of Governor Thomas Bibb, the rocking chair ghost of Mary Chambers Bibb, and the silent Lady in White who drifts between the 1800s headstones. This episode was inspired by our most recent Book Club pick — The Dead Children’s Playground by James Kaine, the first book in his American Horrors series. Featured Book — The Dead Children’s Playground by James Kaine A #1 bestseller in U.S. Horror on Amazon. BookLife by Publishers Weekly called it a story that “will chill readers to the bone.” Kaine based the entire novel on the actual legend at Maple Hill — and after this episode, you’ll never look at that playground the same way again. The story centers on two sisters: Kylie (9, a cancer survivor with a quiet bravery) and Kayla (19, an angry older sister who lost herself in years of her family’s fight to keep Kylie alive). When the family relocates to Huntsville for a fresh start, something old and sinister begins to stir near the playground at the edge of Maple Hill Cemetery. Grab your copy on Amazon » In This Episode Pat’s History Notes The founding of Huntsville — John Hunt’s 1804 spring, LeRoy Pope’s failed attempt to name the town “Twickenham,” and the 1822 purchase of two acres that became Maple Hill The first burial: infant Mary Frances Atwood in 1820 A who’s-who of Maple Hill: 5 Alabama governors, 5 U.S. senators, 10 members of Congress, Albert Russel Erskine of Studebaker Motors, suffragist Priscilla Holmes Drake, and baseball’s Don Mincher 187 unknown Confederate soldiers buried in the northern section — most killed by disease in training camps, not battle Autumn 1918: the Spanish flu in Huntsville, the Birmingham News reports of a “desperate situation,” and the rows of small headstones with lambs carved on top The rise of the Dead Children’s Playground next to the lower section of the cemetery A short, careful primer on the difference between Hoodoo (a folk magic practice rooted in the African American South) and Vodou/Voodoo (a religion born in West Africa and shaped by Haiti) Rebecca’s Paranormal Evidence The Self-Swinging Swings — decades of reports of swings moving in rhythmic sync on windless nights, plus three first-person comments from visitors (2020, 2020, and 2023) sourced from Alabama Haunted Houses The Boy in Suspenders — a haunting YouTube comment from @thomasplouffe1363 on FOX54 News Huntsville’s video, describing a child playmate his mother insisted was never there Governor Thomas Bibb’s Moonlight Carriage Ride — a spectral carriage and white horses returning to a grave that should never have been moved Mary Chambers Bibb — The Rocking Chair Ghost — buried in her wedding dress, sitting up in her rocker, and answering knocks at her crypt The Lady in White — the silent figure drifting through the 1800s section of Maple Hill Music Credits Music for this episode was performed by Michael Rivers “Pat Facts” and “Ghost Story” themes by Mondo “Time for a Debate” theme by Gail Gallagher — gailgallaghermusic.com Support the Show Love what we do? Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes, early access, and behind-the-scenes content. Every pledge helps us keep digging up the dead. Become a Ghostly Patron » And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. It’s the best way to help other believers and skeptics find the show. Show Notes & Sources Maple Hill Cemetery — History & Overview Maple Hill Cemetery — Wikipedia Maple Hill Cemetery Is An Alabama Treasure — Hville Blast 9 Historic Graves in Maple Hill — The Bama Buzz Maple Hill Cemetery Historical Marker — HMDB A Virtual Tour of Historic Maple Hill Cemetery — Huntsville History Tours Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll Brings Huntsville History to Life — City of Huntsville LeRoy Pope — Encyclopedia of Alabama Dead Children’s Playground — Legend & Hauntings Dead Children’s Playground — Atlas Obscura Dead Children’s Playground — Alabama Haunted Houses Maple Hill Cemetery and the Dead Children’s Playground — US Ghost Adventures Dead Children’s Playground: Fact & Fiction — Rocket City Now (FOX54) Most Haunted: Maple Hill Cemetery — Our Valley Events / We Are Huntsville At Play in the Field of the Dead — Southern Spirit Guide The Moonlight Ride at Maple Hill — We Are Huntsville Haunted Huntsville — The Dead Children’s Playground — FOX54 / Rocket City Now The Startling Story of the Mary Chambers Bibb Mausoleum — Hville Blast The Dead Children’s Playground — Book by James Kaine Grab your copy on Amazon (Ghostly affiliate link) Hoodoo & Voodoo — History & Origins Hoodoo (Spirituality) — Wikipedia Louisiana Voodoo — Wikipedia Voodoo vs. Hoodoo: What’s the Difference? — ULC A History of Louisiana Voodoo — Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo The True History and Faith Behind Voodoo — New Orleans French Quarter What Is Hoodoo? — Louisiana Voodoo New Orleans Witchcraft: The Legacy of Hoodoo and Voodoo — Strange & Twisted Hashtags #GhostlyPodcast #HauntedAlabama #MapleHillCemetery #DeadChildrensPlayground #Huntsville #ParanormalPodcast #GhostStories #SouthernGothic #HauntedHistory #JamesKaine #AmericanHorrors #BookClub #1918FluPandemic #ThomasBibb #SpiritsOfAlabama #TrueHauntings #SkepticVsBeliever

Even after his tragic death outside the Dakota Apartments, many believe John Lennon’s spirit never left. In this episode, Ghostly explores sightings of Lennon’s ghost, Yoko Ono’s haunting encounters, and strange happenings in the recording studio. Is Lennon still sending messages of peace from beyond the grave—or are these echoes of a legend that refuses to fade?

Was Lucille Ball’s comedic spark so strong that it refused to fade, even after death? In this episode, Ghostly explores the haunted legacy of America’s favorite redhead and the eerie reports that suggest Lucy never really left the stage.

Bodie, California — once a booming Gold Rush town, now preserved in “arrested decay” — is often called one of the most haunted towns in the West. In this episode of Ghostly, we explore the chilling legends and ghostly evidence that linger among Bodie’s crumbling buildings and quiet cemetery. Hear the stories of the infamous Bodie Curse, where stolen souvenirs bring years of bad luck until they’re returned; the haunted Cain House, where a ghostly maid comforts children but torments adults; the aroma of phantom Italian cooking at the Mendocini House; and the tragic tale of the Angel of Bodie, a little girl whose spirit still plays in the graveyard. We also uncover the violent deaths and eerie curses that marked Bodie’s final days as a settlement. Is Bodie truly cursed and haunted, or is it simply a relic of the Gold Rush with larger-than-life stories? Listen and decide!

In this episode of Ghostly, we are talking about the William Kehoe House, one of the most stunning locations in Savannah, GA. Built in 1892 by iron magnate William Kehoe, this grand home has seen decades of family life, tragedy, and even a stint as a funeral home. Today, it’s one of Savannah’s most luxurious bed and breakfasts… and one of its most paranormally active.

In this episode of Ghostly, we turn our attention to one of the most famous buildings in the world—The White House—and its mysterious connection to the War of 1812. When British troops set fire to the President’s House in 1814, they may have left behind more than just smoke and ashes. We explore the ghostly legends that have lingered for over two centuries: the spirit of Dolley Madison, fiercely guarding her beloved Rose Garden… phantom British redcoats silently marching the North Lawn… and the terrifying figure known as the British Fire Starter, a disfigured officer seen striking phantom matches near the West Wing. Are these spirits echoes of one of the darkest moments in Washington’s history? Or are they just ghost stories born from a nation’s trauma?