Killua Castle - Westmeath - Southern Ireland

killua castle, westmeath Killua Castle was once upon a time the family seat of the Chapman family from Leicestershire England.

It was mainly due to their illustrious cousin: Sir Walter Raleigh that they acquired such large areas of land in Ireland during the 16th century.

It was however a later family member who were after distinguished service in Cromwell's army was awarded the confiscated lands of the Knights Hospitallers of St John at Killua.

The romantic ruin of Killua Castle that we see today was built sometime around the late 18th century although the Gothic styling was carried out during the Victorian era.

Killua Castle is probably best known in more recent history for being the family seat of the great T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). It is said to be haunted, by a white ghost often seen wandering around the ruins during the night and some believe this apparition to be the a land steward from the 18th century who swindled his master out of great sums of money. He was said to be a small but wily man who drank all his ill-gotten gains and committed suicide by throwing himself into the lake.

Today Killua Castle is but a ruin but if you let your imagination run wild it's easy to imagine ghostly apparitions at the many dark and empty windows in the castle walls.

Irish Haunted Castles