Overview
Loftus Hall dominates the rugged coastline of County Wexford’s Hook Peninsula, just a short drive from Fethard-on-Sea. The three-storey mansion is widely regarded as Ireland’s most haunted house, blending centuries of architectural evolution with a chilling supernatural reputation. While the interior has been closed to the public since 2020, the estate remains a compelling stop for history enthusiasts and folklore fans. Visitors can freely access the grounds, walk the restored walled gardens, and view the striking façade from the roadside car park.
The hall sits within sight of the iconic Hook Lighthouse, with the Atlantic providing a dramatic, often stormy backdrop that has fuelled local legends for generations. Though you cannot currently step inside, the exterior architecture, sweeping sea views, and restored landscape offer a tangible connection to a site that has survived wars, famines, and centuries of whispered tales.
A Turbulent History
Norman Roots & The Redmond Era
The site’s story begins in 1170 when Norman knight Raymond FitzGerald landed at Baginbun to support Richard de Clare. He acquired local land and erected a defensive fortification known as Houseland Castle. By the mid-14th century, the Redmond family had replaced the original structure with a more comfortable manor – Redmond Hall – which served as their ancestral seat for nearly three centuries.
The 1642 Siege & Cromwellian Conquest
During the Irish Confederate Wars, Redmond Hall became the centre of a dramatic skirmish. On 20 July 1642, Captain Thomas Aston landed with roughly 90 Irish Army troops and two small cannons to seize the hall, then held by the 68-year-old Alexander Redmond. Despite being outnumbered, Redmond and nine defenders barricaded themselves behind a thick oak door. Aston’s cannons proved useless against the timber, and half his men deserted to pillage the countryside. A sudden sea-mist rolled in, concealing approaching Confederate reinforcements who routed Aston’s force. Several captured soldiers were later hanged at Ballyhack.
The hall endured further assaults during the Cromwellian conquest. Tradition holds that defenders used sacks of wool to plug cannon breaches in the walls – a motif later incorporated into the Redmond coat of arms in 1763. After Alexander Redmond’s death in 1650, the family was evicted, retaining only a third of their estates.
The Loftus Family & Georgian Grandeur
English planters from the Loftus family, who had held nearby lands since the 1590s, purchased the property. In 1666, Henry Loftus moved in, and by 1680 he had the entrance piers inscribed with “Henry Loftus of Loftus Hall Esq. 1680”. The family rose through the peerage, culminating in the creation of the Marquess of Ely in 1800.
Between 1872 and 1884, the 4th Marquess, John Henry Wellington Graham Loftus, undertook a massive rebuilding project. Drawing inspiration from Queen Victoria’s Osborne House, he installed a sweeping marble-treaded grand staircase, mosaic-tiled floors, elaborate parquetry, and technical luxuries rare in Irish estates at the time, including flushing toilets and blown-air heating.
20th Century to Present
The hall’s 20th-century history shifted toward institutional and hospitality use. In 1917, the Sisters of Providence purchased the estate, converting it into a convent and school. The Devereux family bought it in the early 1980s and operated it as a boutique hotel until the late 1990s. Shane and Aidan Quigley acquired the property in 2011, reopening it for guided tours in 2012 and investing heavily in restoring the walled gardens. The attraction closed to the public in 2020, was sold in 2021, and in late 2025, new owners announced phased plans to redevelop the hall into a boutique hotel.
The Legend of the Devil
Loftus Hall’s supernatural reputation centres on a tale dating to 1775. The Tottenham family, who had inherited the estate, took in a mysterious stranger who washed ashore during a storm. He stayed for several days, charming the household and growing particularly close to the young daughter, Anne Tottenham.
During a card game in the Tapestry Room, Anne dropped a card and bent to retrieve it. Looking beneath the table, she reportedly saw that the stranger possessed a cloven hoof. Startled, she exclaimed the truth. The man vanished in a ball of fire, bursting through the ceiling and leaving a scorch mark that locals claim remained visible for decades. Traumatized, Anne was confined to the Tapestry Room, where she spent her final days staring out the window toward Dunmore East, waiting for the stranger’s return. She died in a seated position, her muscles seized, and was buried as she sat.
The story has endured for centuries, inspiring paranormal investigations, a 1993 documentary, and even the 2017 gothic thriller The Lodgers, which was filmed on location. The house also reportedly inspired Fowl Manor in Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series. Visitors and staff have long reported unexplained cold spots, echoing footsteps on the grand staircase, and figures glimpsed in windows – phenomena that keep the hall firmly rooted in Ireland’s folklore tradition.
What to See Today
While the interior remains shuttered for renovation, the exterior and grounds offer a compelling experience:
- The Façade & Entrance Piers: View the 1680 inscription and the imposing Georgian architecture from the designated roadside car park.
- Walled Gardens: Fully restored and open to the public, these gardens feature mature planting, stone pathways, and uninterrupted views of the Irish Sea.
- Sea-Facing Terraces: Ideal for photography and imagining the 17th-century naval skirmishes that played out beneath the coastal mist.
- Accessibility: The garden paths and car park area are wheelchair accessible, though the interior rooms are not currently open.
The location pairs well with a visit to nearby Baginbun Beach, known for its dramatic cliffs and tidal islands, or a short drive to Hook Lighthouse, Ireland’s oldest operational lighthouse.
Practical Information
- Location: Loftus Hall, Hook Peninsula, County Wexford (off the R734, near Fethard-on-Sea).
- Access: Reachable by car via the R734. A small, free roadside car park provides safe viewing of the hall’s exterior and direct access to the walled gardens.
- Opening Times: The interior has been closed to the public since 2020. The exterior, car park, and walled gardens are accessible during daylight hours.
- Admission: Free entry to the grounds and gardens.
- Future Plans: A phased boutique-hotel development is underway. Check the official website or local tourism updates for reopening dates and tour availability.
- Contact: For the latest information, visit Loftus Hall’s official website or call 051-397728.
- Nearby Stops: Hook Lighthouse, Fethard-on-Sea, Baginbun Beach, and the Hook Peninsula coastal walking routes.
Plan your visit for late morning or early afternoon to catch the best light on the façade, and allow extra time to explore the surrounding Hook Peninsula trails. Check the official site before travelling to confirm garden access and any temporary road closures related to ongoing redevelopment.