Lisheen House Ruins
My Childhood Haunted Playground
Lisheen House was originally called Seafield House and was built by local landlord William Phibbs in 1842.
The name was changed to Lisheen House in 1899 following a period of unsettling supernatural events that had driven the family from the property and left the house abandoned.
William Phibbs had inherited vast estates in the Coolera Peninsula and across County Sligo.
Wishing to mark his status, he commissioned a large country house on elevated ground overlooking Ballysadare Bay.
The finished mansion was grand in scale, with over 20 rooms and a formal architectural style that reflected the wealth of its owner. But the house’s history would soon take a darker turn.
In the 1850s, William’s son, Owen Phibbs, returned from travels in Egypt and Syria.
A passionate antiquarian, Owen brought back a collection of artefacts - some of which were said to have been taken from ancient tombs.
These relics, including weapons and funerary objects, were displayed in an upstairs gallery that became known as the museum.
Soon after Owen’s return, strange and disturbing activity began. Loud bangs echoed through the house at night. Furniture was found broken or moved. Household staff reported sightings of shadowy figures, and some refused to stay in the building overnight.
Attempts were made to calm the situation, including the involvement of local clergy, but the phenomena intensified. In one final incident, the entire house reportedly shook with such force that residents feared the structure might collapse.
Photo - John C McTiernan, Sligo: "The Light of Bygone Days"
One gardener was reportedly left shaken after witnessing a tall, shadowy figure vanish toward the sea—its retreat marked by an eerie, echoing laugh. Locals also claim a violent poltergeist once roamed the halls, shattering crockery and ornaments during the night.
.png)
The family fled. The house stood empty for decades, with its reputation for hauntings growing over time. In 1938, the building was cleared of its contents and left to ruin. Its roof was removed, and nature gradually took over the once-pristine estate.
In 2007, Lisheen House returned to the spotlight when it was featured on Ghost Hunters International, an American paranormal series.
The show explored local folklore, including claims of ghostly sightings and eerie sounds still coming from the building’s basement — all allegedly linked to the artefacts Owen brought home more than 150 years earlier.
Ghostly Apparition?
Also around 2007, I was experimenting with infrared photography and paid a visit back to Lisheen.
After taking this photograph I uploaded it to my laptop and noticed what some say seems to be a very strange and eerie figure lurking in the top left window of the main house....
Today, the ruins of Lisheen House remain on the outskirts of Strandhill.
Though overgrown and crumbling, the site continues to intrigue many with its strange past.
Whether you believe the legends or not, one thing is clear: this is no ordinary ruin - it’s a house whose story continues to unsettle and fascinate.
Lisheen House is on private land.
While we have access via our Ireland In Focus tours, please respect the privacy of the local owners and ask permission if you wish to view the house.
