Immediately she screamed in terror. The "stranger" vanished
through the ceiling in a puff of smoke. Apparently, this was just one of
a succession of terrifying experiences associated with Loftus Hall.
Fr. Thomas Broaders was called upon to exorcise the disturbing evil
spirit, and his powers worked! Fr. Broaders later became parish priest
of the united parishes of the Hook and Ramsgrange for almost fifty
years.
Canon Broaders died in January, 1773, and on his tomb in Horetown
Cemetery is the following epitaph;
"here
lies the body of Thomas Broaders,
Who did good and prayed for all.
And banished the Devil from Loftus Hall."
The
Loftus Hall in which the ghostly happenings occurred was levelled to the
ground in 1871 and the present mansion was erected in its place.
It is a
three storey non-basement mansion with a nine bay front. It has a balustraded parapet. One of the features of the mansion is a magnificent hand carved oak
staircase. There are other fine examples of good craftsmanship too.
Loftus Hall was occupied by the Benedictines from 1917 to 1935, and by
the Rossminians from 1937 until 1983.
Loftus Hall stands on 70 acres of land and includes five reception rooms and
twenty-two bedrooms. |
