Leamaneh Castle

Clare · Irland · Castle ruin

Red Mary is said to have pushed unwanted husbands from the windows — and her flame-red hair still flickers in the ruin's empty window sockets.

By the road into the Burren, the gables of Leamaneh Castle stand like an empty stage set, haunted by the memory of Máire Rua O'Brien — Red Mary — one of the most feared women of the 17th century. Legend made a monster of her: she was said to have taken a long line of husbands and pushed the displeasing ones from the castle's high windows, while stable boys who failed her were ridden to death on her wild stallion. When she finally fell from favour, the story goes that she was walled up alive in a hollow tree. In the ruin, her figure with its flame-red hair is still said to appear at the window openings, and locals avoid the place after dark.

FAQ

Hvor ligger Leamaneh Castle?

Leamaneh Castle ligger i Clare, Irland.

Image: Tony Webster / CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons