Paranormal Places: Loftus Hall

 Paranormal Places

Loftus Hall

Wexford. Ireland 

Loftus Hall, sometimes mistakenly written as Lofthus Hall, is a historic mansion on Ireland's southeastern coast, in County Wexford. Overlooking the rugged landscape of the Hook Peninsula, it is one of Ireland's most famous historic houses, renowned for its aristocratic past, striking architecture and enduring reputation as a haunted building.

However, Loftus Hall is much more than a place associated with ghost stories. Its history reflects several important periods in Ireland's past, including the arrival of the Anglo-Normans, the upheavals of the seventeenth century, the rise of powerful landed families, the decline of the Irish aristocracy and the transformation of historic estates into modern tourist attractions.

The property is particularly associated with two families: the Redmonds, who occupied an earlier fortified residence on the site, and the Loftuses, who acquired the estate in the seventeenth century. Later, the Tottenham family became central to the story through the legend of a mysterious visitor who was supposedly the Devil himself. 

Location and setting

Loftus Hall stands on the Hook Peninsula in the south of County Wexford, near the village of Fethard-on-Sea. The peninsula projects into the Celtic Sea and lies close to the entrance of Waterford Harbour, an area historically important for maritime travel, trade and settlement.

The house occupies an exposed coastal position, with views across the surrounding countryside and towards the sea. Its relatively isolated setting, windswept landscape and proximity to the historic Hook Lighthouse have helped make it such a memorable landmark.

The location is significant for several reasons:

Strategic importance: The Hook Peninsula was part of the region affected by the Anglo-Norman arrival in Ireland during the twelfth century.

Maritime connections: The surrounding coastline connected the area with shipping routes, ports and settlements around southern Ireland and beyond.

A sense of isolation: The distance from larger towns helped give the estate the atmosphere of a secluded country residence, a quality that later contributed to its Gothic and supernatural reputation.

The estate lies near Hook Lighthouse, one of Ireland's best-known historic maritime landmarks. Together, the mansion and its coastal surroundings form part of the rich historical landscape of southern Wexford. 

The earliest history: the Redmond family

The history of the site reaches back much further than the present mansion. An earlier fortified residence, known as Redmond Hall, stood here before the construction of the house familiar today.

The origins of the estate are traditionally associated with Raymond le Gros,(opposite) also known as Raymond FitzGerald, a prominent Anglo-Norman military leader who arrived in Ireland in 1170. The Anglo-Norman invasion and settlement brought major changes to landownership and political authority throughout Ireland.

The Redmond family became established in the Hook Peninsula region, and a fortified residence developed on the site. Redmond Hall is generally dated to around 1350, although the precise sequence of the earliest structures is not entirely clear. The original building would have been considerably different from the large, symmetrical country house that survives in historical photographs and architectural records.

During the medieval period, fortified residences were important not only as homes but also as centres of local authority. Their walls, towers and defensible positions offered protection during periods of conflict.

The Redmond family retained the property through the later Middle Ages and into the turbulent seventeenth century. Its fortunes would eventually be transformed by the English conquest of Ireland and the redistribution of land that followed. 

The seventeenth century was one of the most turbulent periods in Irish history.

 

Religious divisions, competing claims to land and the campaigns associated with Oliver Cromwell brought enormous upheaval to communities throughout the country.

The Redmond family became caught up in these events. According to family traditions, Alexander Redmond defended the hall against Cromwellian forces around 1649. Stories tell of defenders using sacks of wool to plug breaches in the walls caused by cannon fire. Although these accounts form part of the property's historical tradition, individual details should be treated cautiously.

Following the Cromwellian conquest, extensive areas of Irish land were confiscated and redistributed. The Redmond family's possession of the estate came to an end, and the property eventually passed into the hands of the Loftus family, English landowners who had established themselves in Ireland.

Nicholas Loftus acquired extensive lands in County Wexford, and his son Henry became closely associated with the hall. By 1666, Henry Loftus had moved into the residence, and an inscription dated 1680 commemorated his ownership.

The name Loftus Hall gradually replaced the older name, Redmond Hall. The building was repaired and improved during the 1680s, but the estate's origins as a fortified residence remained an important part of its story.

This change of ownership was not simply a private family matter. It reflected the wider transformation of Irish society, in which land passed from established Catholic and Gaelic or Anglo-Norman families into the hands of new Protestant landowners following conquest and confiscation. 

The principal people associated with Loftus Hall

Several historical figures are particularly important to understanding the property's development.

Raymond le Gros (twelfth century)

An Anglo-Norman military leader traditionally associated with the earliest history of the estate. His role in the Norman arrival in Ireland provides the broader historical background to the Redmond family's establishment in the region.

Henry Loftus (seventeenth century)

One of the key figures in the property's history. He moved into the hall around 1666 and established its association with the Loftus family. The inscription dated 1680 near the estate entrance commemorates his ownership.

Charles Tottenham (eighteenth century)

A member of the Irish Parliament and an important figure in the later history of the residence. The Tottenham family became associated with the house through marriage, and Charles's daughter Anne would become the central character in its famous supernatural legend.

John Henry Wellington Graham Loftus, 4th Marquess of Ely (1849–1889)

The aristocrat responsible for the extensive nineteenth-century rebuilding of Loftus Hall. His ambitious project created the grand country house associated with the property today.

Jane Hope-Vere, Dowager Marchioness of Ely (1821–1890)

The mother of the fourth Marquess. She was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, and her royal connections are linked to the story that the mansion's renovation was intended to prepare for a visit by the Queen.

These figures represent different stages in the estate's evolution, from its medieval origins and aristocratic ownership to its nineteenth-century architectural transformation.

 

The Tottenham family and the legend of Lady Anne

Perhaps the most famous story connected with Loftus Hall concerns a young woman called Anne Tottenham and a mysterious stranger who was supposedly the Devil in disguise.

The legend is usually placed around 1765 or 1766, when the Tottenham family was living at the house. There are different versions of the story, and the details have changed as it has been retold over the years.

According to the traditional account, a stranger arrived at the hall during a storm. He was welcomed into the house, and the family entertained him. During the evening, Anne Tottenham and the visitor played a game of cards in a room traditionally identified as the Tapestry Room.

At one point, Anne dropped a card and bent down to retrieve it. As she looked beneath the table, she saw that the stranger's feet were not human. Instead, he had cloven hooves.

Realising that she was in the presence of something supernatural, Anne screamed. The stranger supposedly revealed his true nature and disappeared through the ceiling in a burst of fire or smoke. In some versions of the tale, he left a hole in the roof that could never be properly repaired.

The story then takes a tragic turn. Anne was said to have suffered a severe psychological shock from which she never recovered. According to the legend, her family confined her to a room in the house, where she remained until her death. Later reports claimed that her spirit haunted the building.

Was Lady Anne a real person?

The Tottenham family and its association with the residence are historical, but the supernatural events cannot be established as fact. The tale of Anne and the Devil belongs to local folklore, and there is no reliable evidence that a demonic visitor entered the house or that Anne's supposed confinement and haunting happened as described.

It is also important to distinguish the historical Anne Tottenham from the character created by generations of storytelling. The existence of a family member with that name does not prove that the events attributed to her took place.

Nevertheless, the legend became inseparable from Loftus Hall's identity. Its themes of a mysterious stranger, a forbidden revelation, a distressed young woman and a supposedly haunted room have made it one of Ireland's best-known haunted-house stories. 

The nineteenth-century mansion: the 4th Marquess of Ely

The building visible in modern photographs is largely the product of a major rebuilding project undertaken for John Henry Wellington Graham Loftus, the fourth Marquess of Ely.

The work began around 1870–1871, with substantial refurbishment and finishing continuing through the following years. The earlier residence was replaced or extensively reconstructed, incorporating the site's historic foundations and creating a much grander house.

The result was a substantial three-storey mansion with a symmetrical frontage, formal rooms, elaborate interior decoration and views across the surrounding estate.

Notable architectural features included:

An imposing oak staircase, decorated with elaborate carving and marquetry.

Decorative mosaic and encaustic-tile floors, adding colour and pattern to the interiors.

Ornamental plasterwork, associated with the Dublin firm James Hogan and Sons.

Fine joinery and parquet flooring, reflecting the wealth and ambitions of the owners.

A formal country-house exterior, with carefully balanced windows, a central entrance and a prominent roofline.

The design was influenced in part by Osborne House, Queen Victoria's residence on the Isle of Wight. Loftus Hall was intended to demonstrate the family's social standing and create an impressive setting for aristocratic life.

The story of Queen Victoria's proposed visit

A popular account says that the fourth Marquess and his mother undertook the expensive improvements in anticipation of a visit from Queen Victoria. The Queen never visited, however, and the story has become part of the estate's lore.

The royal connection is genuine in the sense that Jane Hope-Vere held an appointment at court. The claim that the entire rebuilding was undertaken specifically for a royal visit is less certain and should be treated as a traditional explanation rather than an established fact.

The expense of the project contributed to the family's financial difficulties. The fourth Marquess died in 1889, aged just 40, without an heir. The family never enjoyed the renovated mansion for very long, and the estate's fortunes deteriorated. 

The twentieth century: convent, school and hotel

After the decline of the Loftus family, the estate entered a new phase of its history.

1890 The end of the family's direct line

The death of the last remaining member of the Loftus family in 1890 was followed by the sale of the estate.

After the decline of the Loftus family, the estate entered a new phase of its history.

1890 The end of the family's direct line

The death of the last remaining member of the Loftus family in 1890 was followed by the sale of the estate.

1917 A religious institution

The Sisters of Providence acquired the property and adapted it for convent and school use. This marked a substantial change from its former role as an aristocratic residence.

1980s–90s The hotel years

The mansion was converted into a hotel, bringing a new commercial purpose to the historic building. The hotel eventually closed in the late 1990s.

2011 A haunted-house attraction

The Quigley family acquired the property and opened it as a tourist attraction, drawing visitors interested in the legend of Lady Anne and the mansion's supernatural reputation.

These changes demonstrate how a historic estate can survive even after its original social and economic purpose disappears. Loftus Hall moved from private aristocratic residence to religious institution, hotel and heritage attraction. 

Loftus Hall in recent years

The property's more recent history has also involved ambitious plans for restoration and redevelopment.

In 2022, developer Paddy McKillen Jr and his business partner Matt Ryan acquired Loftus Hall through their company Oakmount. They pursued plans to restore the building and convert it into a luxury boutique hotel, undertaking substantial work on the historic structure.

In April 2025, the developers put the property up for sale after abandoning their plans for the hotel project.

A subsequent report published in November 2025 stated that Loftus Hall had been sold for €3 million to investor Patrick McDermott, who intended to rebrand it as Loftus Estate and develop it as an agri-based hotel.

This marks another chapter in the property's long evolution. Its future now depends on how restoration, commercial development and the conservation of its historic character can be brought together. 

Why is Loftus Hall so famous?

Loftus Hall's reputation rests on several overlapping stories.

First, it has a genuinely long and turbulent history, stretching back to medieval settlement and the political upheavals of seventeenth-century Ireland. Second, its Victorian mansion is architecturally impressive, with elaborate interiors and an imposing exterior. Third, the legend of Lady Anne provides a dramatic supernatural narrative that has been passed down through generations.

The house has also attracted media attention through paranormal programmes, historical features and film productions. Its atmosphere and folklore have made it a natural setting for Gothic storytelling.

However, it is worth separating three different kinds of 

history:

Documented history: The ownership of the estate, its architectural development and its changing uses.

Local tradition: Stories about the Redmond family's defence of the earlier hall and the circumstances surrounding the Tottenham family.

The Paranormal Activity of Loftus Hall, Ireland

Loftus Hall has a reputation as one of Ireland's most haunted houses. Its paranormal fame centres on the tragic legend of Lady Anne Tottenham, the alleged appearance of the Devil, unexplained disturbances and reports from visitors and paranormal investigators who explored the building.

What makes Loftus Hall particularly fascinating is the combination of an old aristocratic house, a dramatic supernatural legend and more recent accounts of strange experiences. The mansion was once open for guided ghost tours and paranormal investigations, allowing visitors to explore the rooms associated with its haunting.

It is important, however, to distinguish between the stories told about the house, experiences reported by witnesses and phenomena that have been independently verified. There is no conclusive scientific evidence that Loftus Hall is haunted, but its folklore is exceptionally rich. 

Let's look in more detail at the paranormal history of the hall...

The Devil's visit: the original haunting legend

The best-known supernatural story is traditionally set around 1765–1766, when the Tottenham family occupied the earlier residence on the site.

According to the legend, a mysterious traveller arrived at the house during a storm. The family welcomed him, and he stayed for several days. Their daughter, Anne Tottenham, became particularly interested in the stranger.

One evening, Anne and the visitor were playing cards in a room now associated with the Tapestry Room. When she dropped a card and bent down to retrieve it, she saw that the stranger had a cloven hoof instead of a human foot.

She realised, according to the tale, that their visitor was the Devil.

The stranger supposedly disappeared through the ceiling in a burst of flame or smoke, sometimes accompanied by the smell of sulphur. In certain versions, his departure left a hole or scorch mark that could not be repaired.

This encounter is the foundation of virtually every later account of the haunting.

Why the story matters

The legend resembles a wider European tradition of tales in which the Devil disguises himself as an attractive or respectable stranger. A card game provides the setting for his deception, while the cloven hoof reveals his true identity.

The story also gives Loftus Hall a particular form of supernatural history: rather than being haunted simply because someone died there, the house is said to have been marked by a direct encounter with an evil supernatural being.

There is no reliable evidence that such an encounter occurred. The tale is best understood as local folklore rather than a verified historical event. 

 The ghost of Lady Anne Tottenham

The second major element of the haunting is the alleged ghost of Anne Tottenham herself.

In the traditional story, Anne was so traumatised by her encounter with the stranger that she never recovered. Her family supposedly confined her to the Tapestry Room, where she withdrew from the outside world and spent her remaining years in distress.

Some versions claim that she refused food and drink, sat with her knees drawn up towards her chest and spent long periods gazing through a window towards the sea. Her death is often dated to 1775, although the details of her supposed confinement and death have not been established as historical fact.

After her death, the house was said to be haunted by her restless spirit.

Reported manifestations

Accounts associated with the legend describe several kinds of activity:

A female apparition: A woman, often interpreted as Anne, is said to have been seen in the house or near its windows.

A figure in the upper rooms: Stories associate the upper floors with sightings of a solitary woman who appears briefly before vanishing.

A lingering presence: Some visitors have described feeling that somebody was watching them, particularly in rooms associated with Anne's story.

An atmosphere of sadness: The legend has led visitors to interpret feelings of unease or melancholy as the presence of Anne's spirit.

These reports are part of the building's paranormal reputation, but the accounts are not supported by independently verified evidence establishing that an apparition exists.

An important distinction is that the ghost story may have developed around a real historical family and a real house, while the details of Anne's supposed fate have been embellished through retelling. The historical existence of a person does not establish that the haunting attributed to her is genuine. 

Strange noises, footsteps and poltergeist activity

One of the recurring themes in reports about Loftus Hall is unexplained activity within the building.

Accounts published during the period when the mansion operated as a tourist attraction describe disturbances that visitors and investigators interpreted as potentially paranormal.

Reported experiences include:

• Footsteps or movement when no person could be identified as the source.
• Unusual noises in corridors and rooms.
• Sudden sensations that somebody else was present.
• Disturbances interpreted by some visitors as poltergeist activity.

The term poltergeist traditionally refers to a supposed disruptive spirit associated with noises, objects moving or other physical disturbances. However, it is important not to label every unexplained sound or movement as evidence of a spirit.

Old buildings can produce noises through shifting timber, changing temperatures, wind, loose fittings and other ordinary causes. In a large, unfamiliar mansion, sounds travelling through corridors and between floors can also be difficult to locate.

The published reports establish that Loftus Hall attracted stories of strange activity; they do not establish that the disturbances were caused by a supernatural entity. 

Cold spots and electromagnetic disturbances

During the years when Loftus Hall hosted ghost tours and paranormal events, visitors and ghost-hunting groups reported unusual environmental sensations.

Two recurring claims concerned sudden temperature changes and electromagnetic readings.

Sudden cold spots

Visitors reportedly experienced areas that felt noticeably colder than their surroundings, particularly in the Chapel and Tapestry Room. In paranormal traditions, these are sometimes interpreted as signs of a spirit's presence.

A convincing investigation would require calibrated temperature measurements taken repeatedly, alongside records of draughts, ventilation, humidity and other environmental conditions.

Electromagnetic field readings

Accounts associated with the house describe spikes in electromagnetic field readings, which some investigators interpreted as evidence of an unexplained energy source.

EMF meters measure electromagnetic fields, not ghosts. Readings can change because of electrical wiring, equipment, nearby electronics and other environmental sources. Without documented controls and repeatable measurements, a spike cannot establish paranormal activity.

A report published by IrishCentral in 2015 quoted the then-owner describing temperature drops and electromagnetic disturbances experienced or reported by visitors. This is useful evidence of what the attraction's operators and visitors were saying at the time, but it is not equivalent to an independently verified scientific finding. 

The Chapel and the Tapestry Room

Two areas recur particularly often in stories about Loftus Hall: the Chapel and the Tapestry Room.

The Chapel

The Chapel is associated with reports of cold spots and an unsettling atmosphere. Its religious associations have encouraged some visitors to interpret unusual sensations through the language of spiritual conflict or the presence of an oppressive force.

Nevertheless, a room's religious purpose does not make unusual sensations evidence of supernatural activity.

The Tapestry Room

This is the room most closely connected with Anne Tottenham and the alleged appearance of the Devil. It is traditionally identified as the setting of the card game during which Anne supposedly discovered the stranger's cloven hoof.

Its importance is principally folkloric: generations of visitors have entered the room already familiar with the story, making it the focus of heightened expectation and emotional responses.

The rooms' reputations illustrate how a particular location within a building can become the centre of a haunting narrative. Once a room is associated with a dramatic event, subsequent noises, temperature changes or feelings of unease may be interpreted in the light of that story. 

 Father Thomas Broaders and the alleged exorcism

Another significant element of the legend is the story of Father Thomas Broaders, a Catholic priest who was supposedly called upon to remove the evil presence from Loftus Hall.

According to popular accounts, the Protestant family sought the assistance of a Catholic priest because the disturbances associated with the house had become too alarming to ignore.

Father Broaders is said to have performed an exorcism, attempting to expel the Devil or the malevolent presence believed to have remained in the building.

Some versions suggest that the exorcism was unsuccessful in the Tapestry Room, or that the haunting continued despite the priest's intervention.

The story is particularly striking because it introduces a religious response to the supernatural events. It also suggests that the house's reputation was sufficiently powerful for its occupants to seek help outside their own religious tradition.

However, the details require caution. The celebrated claim that Father Broaders banished the Devil from Loftus Hall is not supported by a verified contemporary record of the exorcism. A modern paranormal case archive notes that even the supposed commemorative inscription associated with the event is unverified. 

The Ghost Adventures investigation

The programme's crew included Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin and Nick Groff. Their visit was associated with a Halloween special that aired in 2015, bringing the mansion's folklore to a much wider audience.

According to contemporary reporting in the Irish Independent, the owner initially approached the television production with some scepticism but recognised the potential publicity for the attraction. The filming also provided access to parts of the upper floors that had not previously been included in ordinary public tours. 

What makes this investigation significant?

The programme helped popularise Loftus Hall as a destination for paranormal enthusiasts. It combined the house's established folklore with the investigative techniques commonly seen in paranormal television, including:

• Recording unexplained sounds and voices.
• Monitoring electromagnetic fields.
• Investigating dark rooms and corridors.
• Using night-vision equipment and cameras.

Interpreting unusual noises or sensations as possible evidence of a haunting.

These methods can document what investigators experience, but their interpretation is often contested. For example, an unclear sound recorded in a dark room might be interpreted as a spirit's voice, while a sceptical investigator might attribute it to background noise or an equipment artefact.

Television also involves editing and storytelling. A dramatic moment shown on screen is not automatically proof of paranormal activity.

The programme's significance is therefore clear: it helped establish Loftus Hall's modern reputation. It does not, by itself, demonstrate that the building is haunted.

The 2014 photograph and alleged unexplained figures

One of the more widely circulated modern stories concerns a photograph reportedly showing a strange figure in a window at Loftus Hall.

The image became a subject of online discussion and contributed to the building's growing reputation as a haunted attraction.

Photographs of supposedly ghostly figures are a familiar feature of paranormal folklore. They can be intriguing, especially when an image appears to show a person in a supposedly empty building.

However, several explanations must be considered before concluding that a photograph records an apparition:

Reflections of the photographer, nearby objects or lights.

Curtains, furniture or architectural features that resemble human forms.

Long exposures, motion blur or low-light image artefacts.

People who were present but not noticed when the photograph was taken.

The image is part of the modern lore surrounding Loftus Hall, but I could not establish a reliable independent analysis demonstrating that it depicts a paranormal figure. 

 Paranormal lockdowns and visitors' experiences

When Loftus Hall operated as a tourist attraction, it offered more than ordinary historical tours. It also hosted special paranormal events, including overnight or after-dark investigations.

These events allowed visitors to explore the house in darkness, use investigation equipment and experience the atmosphere of the building for themselves.

The Journal reported in 2018 that the attraction offered paranormal lockdowns led by experienced investigators, and that some visitors returned for further events. The building's owners also described the atmosphere as particularly powerful after dark. 

Such events can produce memorable experiences, even where the cause is uncertain. Darkness, unfamiliar surroundings, anticipation and the expectation of encountering something supernatural can affect how people interpret sounds and sensations. This does not mean that visitors are being dishonest; it means that an experience can feel completely real without its explanation being established.

I have not found a sufficiently detailed, independently documented collection of visitor accounts to establish a consistent pattern of verified paranormal events at Loftus Hall.

Has Loftus Hall ever been proven to be haunted?

The short answer is no conclusive proof has been established.

There are accounts of apparitions, cold spots, strange sounds, electromagnetic readings and unsettling experiences. There have also been television investigations and organised ghost hunts.

But these reports are not equivalent to scientific confirmation of a haunting. To establish stronger evidence, investigators would need to document observations carefully, rule out ordinary causes, preserve original recordings and produce results that independent investigators could reproduce.

The history of Loftus Hall is well worth studying, but its supernatural reputation rests largely on folklore, witness accounts and modern paranormal entertainment.

The present-day situation

Loftus Hall closed to the public in 2020 and subsequently changed ownership. It has been the subject of restoration and hotel redevelopment plans, so the former ghost-tour experience should not be assumed to be available today. 

For anyone interested in investigating its history, the most productive approach is to examine the different layers of evidence separately:

Historical records relating to the Redmond, Loftus and Tottenham families.

Early published versions of the Devil and Lady Anne legend.

Contemporary newspaper reports about the house's former paranormal events.

Original footage and recordings from paranormal television investigations.

Independent explanations of environmental readings and alleged photographic evidence.

Or why not conduct your own paranormal investigation at the hall? 

I would love to hear about your experiences there !