CHRISTINE MILLER takes a look back at Most Haunted: Charleville Forest Castle
Episode Title: Charleville Forest Castle
Location: Tullamore, County Offaly
Series: 1 Episode Number: 15
Originally broadcast: 2001-2002
Medium: Derek Acorah
Parapsychologist: Jason Karl, David Scanlen & Vicki Purewal
Ghostly Children and a Man in Red
The team are in Ireland for today’s episode and at Charleville Forest Castle, where Yvette gives us a bit of a rundown of its history…
The castle was built in the 1700s, over a druid graveyard where people were literally buried alive in order to stop the spread of the plague.
Fascinatingly, there are a number of tunnels built underneath the castle, like a labyrinth, but why these were built, no one knows why.
Many ghosts, glowing lights, the dragging of furniture, voices, screams and laughter have been seen and heard over the castle’s history.
The owner’s young son one day went missing, only to be found at the spot where a little girl had died.
Sure enough, he told his mother he was ok because the little girl, along with another boy, had held his hand.
The owners soon began to here voices outside their bedrooms at night; from laughter to a child crying.
Further to this, a man in a red robe has been seen moving across one of the bedrooms, and he was identified through a portrait hanging in the family home, to be the ghost of Francis Johnston.
Prior to the investigation, the crew witnessed some unusual behaviour, all concerning the toilet area.
Jason, Yvette, and make up artist Marcelle all experienced activity.
Karl also had an experience where a door closed on him; he opened it, only for it to be closed again when he returned.
Chambers of Death
Derek arrives and he Yvette and Jason make their way to the dungeons within the castle where Derek picks up on a negative atmosphere.
He senses that there have been many deaths in and around this chamber due to cruelty, and states that the chamber needs to be blessed.
They move onwards and Derek claims he has been hit on the arm with something from an angry spirit. This is enough to make Yvette leave the dungeons.
On the staircase, Derek gives the name Charles William Bury as the man who walks the corridors of the castle. Bury is the father of the little girl who fell to her death on this staircase. Derek does not pick up on her.
Séance at Charleville Forest Castle
The team attempt a séance within the castle; however, they receive very little activity besides a candle flame moving as if there was a breeze, which the crew deny.
Bumps in the Night
The crew now split into two groups with Karl and Rick going to further explore the dungeons, and the rest of the team moving upstairs.
Karl and Rick agree to take it in turns to go into one of the particularly eerie places within the dungeons, Rick goes first and immediately runs out of the space, claiming something has tickled his ear.
As they walk to an outbuilding a short time later, they hear what sounds like furniture being dragged from inside.
Upon entering, there is nothing to suggest anything was being moved. This is captured (albeit faintly) on audio.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Jason and Yvette hear a faint tapping noise which the camera audio picks up on.
On the landing by the staircase, they call out to Charles and his daughter, and a short time later they hear the door downstairs opening and shutting. Immediately going to investigate they find nothing amiss.
This certainly was not the most eventful episode of Most Haunted, and while no ghosts made themselves explicitly present, there was a variety of activity, with a large portion of it being caught on camera.
Tell us what you thought of this Charleville Forest Castle Most Haunted episode in the comments section below.
