One of Ireland’s most haunted homes is being transformed into a luxury hotel - but many locals say they would be too scared to stay there. 

Loftus Hall in Fethard-on-Sea, Wexford has spectacular views overlooking the Irish Sea and dates back centuries. However, in all its long history, it is the events of 1766 that it is best known for. 

“The story goes that Sir Charles Tottenham came to stay at Loftus Hall, having married for a second time - his first wife having died,” filmmaker Rick Whelan explained to The Pat Kenny Show. 

“He brought with him, his daughter Anne, from the first marriage but Anne didn’t get on with her new stepmother.” 

One stormy night, the family were playing cards when there was a knock at the door. 

It was a drenched gentleman who explained that his ship had docked nearby and this was the first house he had come upon. 

He was invited to stay with the family and joined in with their card game. 

“Young Anne dropped a card to the floor - just accidently - bent down to pick it up and noticed that the gentleman had a cloven hoof on both feet,” Mr Whelan said. 

“She screamed and he turned into flames and into a ball of fire and went up through the roof.”

The shock of that night changed Anne forever; she was often described as a woman in “decline” and was locked away in a small corner of the house. 

The family tried to exorcise the spirit  of the cloven hoofed man and a local parish priest was brought in to pray the demonic spirit away.

He eventually succeeded and the Loftus family were so grateful to him that they gave him land; on his grave it reads, ‘Here lies the body of Thomas Broaders, who did good and prayed for all and banished the Devil from Loftus Hall.’ 

W5TFJ9 Praying priest with rosary beads

House to hotel

Loftus House is currently being renovated into a luxurious hotel but the building’s spooky reputation means that many say they are reluctant to stay there. 

“I’ve never been in - too scared to go in. It’s a very bad fear now,” one woman said. 

While another local said he had stayed in it many years ago when it had previously been a hotel but that trade had been hampered by its spooky reputation. 

“This was about 30 years ago,” he recalled. 

“There were not a lot of people there and not a lot of people would stay there due to the rumour of haunting.” 

However, James Gleeson, who will be the new hotel’s general manager, assured people that the haunting would be a thing of the past.  

“I think we’ve closed that chapter on the spooky stories,” he said. 

“It’s always going to be a part of the history but we think we need to close that book now and open a new chapter.” 

Ladyville House, as it will be known, instead wants to be known as a luxurious place to stay in a beautiful location. 

“Phase One, the building with 22 guest rooms, we hope to have that open early next year,” he said. 

“And then after that we’ll see how it goes. We’d love to extend over time, you know, and make it a bigger resort. 

“This is the start of something special.”

Main image: Loftus Hotel