Legends, Ghosts and Stories Galore

Druids, saints and fleeing lovers

In beautiful Co. Kerry, Valentia Island and its lighthouse are steeped in legend and lore. Local tradition holds that the island was once home to Mug Ruith, a powerful, blind druid whose spirit is said to roam the old fort walls after dark.

Nearby St Brendan’s Well on the northwestern side of the island carries its own fable. In the sixth century, lauded monk Brendan ‘The Navigator’ is said to have scaled the cliffs to baptise two dying pagans at the spring. Pilgrims still leave tokens at its altar today.

In charming Co. Clare, there are a few variations on how Loop Head and the well-known sea stack just north of the headland got their names.

Loop Head was originally called Leap Head or Ceann Léime. Legend has it the mythological Irish warrior Cúchulainn escaped a witch named Mal by leaping from the mainland to the sea stack. She tried to follow and fell into the sea—her body supposedly washing ashore at Hag’s Head near the Cliffs of Moher. Nearby Milltown Malbay is said to have taken its name from where Mal's blood landed. 

The other version of the sea stack’s moniker comes from Irish mythology’s infamous lovers Diarmuid and Gráinne. Said to be one of the places that the eloping lovers spent a night while on the run from Fionn mac Cumhaill, the sea stack is often called Lover’s Leap or Diarmuid and Gráinne’s Rock.

Mythical islands and mysterious lights

In coastal Co. Cork in July 1878, locals in Ballycotton are said to have witnessed the appearance of an island they had never seen before. Momentarily appearing off the coastline, fishermen were said to have ventured toward it but it vanished before they could reach it – supposedly disappearing into thin air. 

Whether a mirage or an actual mythical island, it hasn’t been seen since!

In more modern times, 2020 saw the MV Alta – a ‘ghost ship’ with no crew on board – wash up in Ballycotton’s waters. The ship was abandoned at sea in 2018 due to engine failure and had been rather battered by the North Atlantic before settling on the Cork shoreline.

Over in Co. Mayo, Blacksod Bay – home to Blacksod Lighthouse – has been the site of St Elmo’s Fire over the years. A luminous flow of electric current that, in certain conditions, can be seen dancing around the tops of masts, spires and chimneys, these unusual orbs of light have often been spotted in Blacksod Bay striking sailboats and ships. Locals would claim it was a malicious light caused by the fairies, if the orbs of light hit a sailor it could paralyse or seriously injure him. 

Ghost hunters and sea monsters

Now, we’re not saying we believe in ghosts but Roie McCann over at Clare Island Lighthouse, Co. Mayo has experienced otherwise.

“We’ve had a few groups of American ghost hunters who came with their ghost detecting equipment and would you believe… We have ghosts in two of our rooms. A few of our guests have reported some happenings in the original Tower House. I have also experienced some strange events in our dining/living room area such as all the books being scattered around in the night and also some broken glasses in the middle of the dining room!”

In breathtaking Co. Antrim, the entire west end of Rathlin Island is associated with ghostly stories. The nearest building to Rathlin West Light is notoriously known as the island’s most haunted house. 

One time when Manx Shearwaters nested in the area, their eerie nighttime cries punctuated the air and made for unsettling vibes... Nevertheless, it is hoped that recent conservation efforts at RSPB are helping these impressive black and white seabirds to return to the island. 

Back at Valentia in Co. Kerry, there are tales of a sea monster haunting the nearby waters off the Fogher Cliffs. Supposedly an unseen creature blamed for the occasional, eerie lights and distant cries on stormy nights.

Whether fact or fiction, these stories – ancient and modern – give the lighthouses an added air of mystery.

Why not plan a lighthouse visit or stay of your own?