Leap Castle, County Offaly, in August 1987.
Reputedly, the most haunted castle in Ireland.
It was owned by an Australian at the time, who renovated the gate lodge.
The building has been remodelled over the centuries.
The original entrance was in the south wall, with a box machiolation over.
The top vault is over another vault. The roof in 1987 was a corrugated iron one, at a lower pitch than the original. There was a massive masonry structure over the top of the spiral stairs, in the SW corner, with a large rectangular bolt hole receiver. Above this structure was a crude stone stairs leading to the mural wall walk. The door from the top of the stairs was within the main chamber on top floor.
A prison chamber was accessed through the door in the window embrasure.
NW corner spiral stairs leading down from bartizan (complete with shot holes) at top floor level to a dead end.
Top floor window had a large pointed arch to the embrasure and a rounded arch over the window. Some windows were mullioned.
On the NE corner at first floor level, was a mural chamber going around the corner, with unusual massive stone beams supporting the ceiling over.
The fireplace on the second floor had been turned into a cupboard and there was a vault over this floor.
Found 3 mason marks on the guard room door surround, just inside the main entrance.
Overall it appeared to be a very dry building.
The owner at the time was hoping to restore it and the gardens and hand it over to the Irish nation, sadly this was not to be.
No sign of the “elemental” on that day in August 1987, but there was something distinctly unpleasant about going up the spiral stairs and in the ground floor mural chamber.
