Cabra Castle and the ghost of a poor maid

Cabra Castle and the ghost of a poor maid
22 May 2024 J.W.H
ghosts

In the old Cabra Castle, once referred to as Cormey Castle, it is claimed that its hall is haunted by the ghost of an unlucky servant. She was brutally murdered by the owners of the castle after they came upon that she was carrying certainly one of the heirs' children.

In the guts of Kingscourt, Co. Cavan sits Cabra Castle – a spot where history, beauty and the supernatural intertwine, casting a fascinating yet terrifying spell near the forest of Dún a Rí.

Cabra Castle is attributed to 2 castles on this area. One is now ruins, the opposite has been was a luxury hotel. The centuries-old castle captures the imagination of travelers and ghost lovers, earning a popularity as probably the most haunted hotels on this planet in keeping with Trip Advisor's spine-chilling 2010 rating.

Today it’s the hotel because it has been because the Nineteen Nineties, but before that it was the land of the O'Reilly clan. This was the case until Oliver Cromwell took power within the seventeenth century. The original castle from before this time was destroyed and Cabra House was built on the ruins. The ruins of Cabra's original home, or Cabra Castle, will be seen at a low elevation near the Wishing Well in what’s now Dún a' Rí Forest Park, formerly a part of the Cabra estate.

Goat Castle: Today, Cabra Castle is a luxury hotel. It is claimed to be haunted by multiple ghost. //Source: Colette Gemmell/Wikimedia Commons

The rebuilt castle was then called Cormy Castle and the Foster family lived there when the alleged ghost story took place. The important constructing was in ruins, destroyed in the course of the Cromwellian War, however the adjoining courtyard was preserved in good condition.

A story about forbidden love

In the 1780s, a son was born to the owners of the castle, whose heart was entwined with that of a servant named Sarah. Who it was is just not specified, but it surely is understood that the castle was taken over in 1795 by John Tomas Foster, who died shortly afterwards. Although he is just not named in any of the stories, he’s the heir around this time. If a woman named Sarah was ever working presently, there isn’t a evidence of it.

According to legend, they managed to maintain their relationship a secret for a while, however the thing about secrets is that the reality cannot remain hidden. Sarah's secret is revealed when she learns that she is pregnant, which could have disastrous consequences for her and her lover.

A tragic end

The heir's family, guided by their wealth and social position, issued a decree that Sarah needs to be silenced. In a gruesome turn of events, Sarah was taken from the servants' quarters at Cabra Castle and dragged to a close-by forest, possibly the forest of Dún a Rí, where she and her unborn child were murdered.

Legends say that Sarah met a gruesome end, her lifeless form hanging over a bridge in the dead of night heart of the forest. However, it is claimed that her spirit has not rested, and the echoes of her tragic story haunt Cabra Castle to at the present time.

Sara Bridge: In the forest of Dún a Rí there’s a bridge called Sarah's Bridge, inbuilt 1801, named after Sarah Mountmorris, who married into the Pratt family. The local legend tells about Sara, who had been meeting her boyfriend on the bridge for nearly thirty years. One evening he unexpectedly proposed to her, causing Sarah to fall into the river and drown. To prevent an identical tragedy, side partitions were added to the bridge, making it a safer and fewer dangerous place for romantic encounters. Therefore, she has nothing to do with Maid Sarah of Cabra Castle.// Source

Crying baby at night

Visitors to Cabra Castle have reported spine-chilling experiences where the past and present intersect in uncanny ways. Some say they heard the disturbing cry of a baby within the stillness of the night – a disturbing reminder of the pain and sadness that when existed here.

The courtyard rooms hold their very own secrets, as quite a few guest accounts sense an unexplained “presence” nearby. These encounters left many with an indelible sense of eeriness, especially within the rooms within the courtyard and near the Hanging Tree, which sits on the bottom. According to some versions, it was on this tree that she was hanged.

Another ghost in Cabra Castle

But the ghost of the unlucky maid is just not the one ghost that is claimed to haunt the old castle. One guest recounted an encounter with a person wearing an early twentieth century uniform who walked purposefully down the hall – a figure without delay mysterious and disturbing.

In the dark hours, when the veil between worlds appears to be wavering, others describe hearing the distinctive sounds of a horse and carriage. They claim that these ghostly sounds herald the arrival of a ghostly carriage carrying a crying baby to the castle steps – a haunting scene that defies explanation.

The enchantingly haunted Cabra Castle

The ending of the spooky tale of Cabra Castle is as mysterious because the ghosts that wander its halls. Although the tragic story of the maid's murder leaves a long-lasting sense of sadness and injustice, a ray of hope appears within the darkness.

Cabra Castle stays a fascinating yet haunted place, charming those that dare to go to. Its wealthy history combined with supernatural phenomena create an otherworldly experience that leaves an indelible mark on all who traverse its storied grounds.

While the story of the servant's murder stays a disturbing reminder of past injustices, Cabra Castle, at all times mysterious and hauntingly beautiful, attracts those looking for experiences beyond the bizarre. Step into its storied halls and let the echoes of the past whisper their secrets to you.

Bibliography:

Spooky stories about Irish castles – original Irish hotels

Hotel in Cabra Castle | Haunted Cavan, Ireland | Ghost Island

Take a spiritual tour of Ireland's romantic castles | Cabra…

Image Source: Pixabay.com

  • J.W.H

    About John:

    John Williams is a Reincarnationist paranormal Intuitive freelance writer...he is living proof of reincarnation existence, through his personal exploration, he has confirmed its authenticity through visits to the very lands where these events transpired.

    Through guided meditation/s using hemi-sync technology he has managed to recollect 3 previous lives to his own, that go back to the Mid to Late 19th century.

    JWH - "You are the GODS! - Inclusion of the Eternal Light of Love and you shall never die”.

    “Death is Just the Beginning of Life”