Duckett's Grove

Carlow · Ireland · Castle ruin

A grieving mother called a banshee down upon the Duckett family — and in the burned-out Gothic ruin her wail is still heard before a death.

The Gothic towers and turrets of Duckett's Grove rise like a fairytale ruin above the Carlow countryside, but the legend behind them is dark. William Duckett is said to have had a young mistress who died in a riding accident on the estate, and her heartbroken mother, in her fury, laid a piseóg — a curse — upon the family by summoning a banshee. Ever since, the spirit's keening cry is said to have echoed around the house as an omen of death; one woman who heard the call reportedly dropped dead on the grounds, and a gardener found his mother dead the morning after hearing the scream. The house burned in 1933, but shadow figures and hollow thuds are reported in the ruin to this day.

FAQ

Where is Duckett's Grove located?

Duckett's Grove is in Carlow, Ireland.

Image: Irlandahijo / CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons