Leap Castle, Coolderry, Ireland

Leap Castle (pronounced “Lep”) is a castle in Coolderry, County Offaly, Ireland, about 6 km north of the town of Roscrea and 10 km south of Kinnitty on the R421.

There are varied accounts as to when exactly the main tower/keep was constructed; ranging anywhere from the 13th century to the late 15th century, but most likely around 1250 CE. It was built by the O'Bannon clan and was originally called "Léim Uí Bhanáin" (as was the fertile land around the castle which was associated with the Bannon clan), or "Leap of the O'Bannons".

O'Bannons were the "secondary chieftains" of the territory and were subject to the ruling O'Carroll clan. There is evidence that it was constructed on the same site as another ancient stone structure perhaps ceremonial in nature, and that that area has been occupied consistently since at least the Iron Age (500 BCE) and possibly since Neolithic times.

The O’Bannon rule over Leap Castle was not a long one, however, as the O’Bannons were subservient to the O’Carroll clan, a ruthless and domineering sect fueled by greed and power. The O’Carrolls’ seizing of Leap Castle launched a gruesome legacy of carnage that left a supernatural scar at the core of the castle’s menacing reputation. According to legend, many a massacre took place within the walls of Leap Castle at the hands of the O’Carroll clan.

When the chief of the O’Carroll clan died and left no successor, a dispute developed between his sons, Thaddeus and Teighe, over who would rule. Thaddeus was a priest and was in the midst of mass when he was slaughtered by Teighe in what is now known as “The Bloody Chapel”. Legend has it the priest’s apparition can be seen wandering the bloody chapel as well as the stairway below.

One of the most notorious spirits of Leap Castle is that of the red lady, a very tall specter clothed in a fluttering red gown clinging to a sharp blade. The story behind the red lady is that she was imprisoned by the O’Carroll’s and repeatedly raped. She gave birth to a baby who was then murdered by the O’Carrolls. Overwhelmed with grief over the loss of her child, the red lady used the knife her phantom bears to put an end to her life of torment.

Today the castle is still privately owned by The Ryans. While you cannot stay overnight in Leap Castle, there are plenty of hotels in the vicinity and Sean Ryan welcomes fascinated tourists who want to experience the grounds firsthand. Mr. Ryan has even been known to open his doors to visitors and grant them a private tour of Leap Castle.