Carrickaphouka Castle

Literally translated as “the rock of the Pooka”, Carrickaphouka Castle is believed to be haunted for some reasons.  One is because people believed that it is inhabited by a pooka which is a type of a fairy creature and second it was a place of a gruesome event.

In 1601, people believed that a pooka lives inside the wall of the castle.  They believed that one of the boulder used to build Carrickaphouka was the natural habitat of pooka.  The pooka is known to have the ability to take the form of an animal.  People claimed that they saw the creature shape shift in a form of a horse, eagle or a goat.

When the Battle of Kinsale ends, the Lord of Muskerry, Cormac Mor MacDermot Tadhg McCarthy was designated as the High Sheriff.  He was given the duty to round up those who opposed the current ruler of the land.  One of the lords, James Fitzgerald was known to oppose the current English ruler.  McCarthy invited him to his castle (Carrickaphouka) under the pretense of creating peace.

McCarthy served a poisoned meal to Fitzgerald.  But it seems that he was not satisfied to see him die, McCarthy drained the body of Fitzgerald with his blood and had his flesh cook.  The English rulers were shocked to see McCarthy cannibalizing the flesh of the Lord and drinking his blood.

The Irish people were aghast about the incident; they claimed that McCarthy has been possessed by the pooka that is residing inside the castle.  McCarthy disappeared after that incident; some claimed that he went to France.  But after the news spread about his death, some says that his spirit went back to the castle.  There have been numerous reports about people who walked by the ruins at night and being attack by an unseen force.  There were also fresh Blood that is often sighted at the gates of the castle.