Ross Castle in Co Meath hosts groups for weekend stays amid ghost legends
Caretakers Jackie and Richard Moeran operate the medieval property in Mountnugent, which sleeps 17 people and features a tower room linked to a local haunting story.
By Ethan Mitchell ·
Jackie and Richard Moeran have managed Ross Castle in Mountnugent, Co Meath, since 2015. The couple lives a short drive from the property, where Richard runs a farm. They oversee the castle, which combines medieval stone walls with modern additions built in the 1960s and a recent renovation of the Great Room.
The castle currently functions as a self-catering rental for groups. Jackie Moeran, who has a background in interior design and antiques, sourced most of the Gothic furniture inside. The property includes seven beds that accommodate 14 people, with three additional single beds available to bring the total capacity to 17. A renovated farmhouse and two cottages on the site can house 14 more guests, bringing the total occupancy for the entire site to 31 people.
Pricing for a stay varies by season, length of stay, and day of the week. A two-night, self-catered midweek stay for 14 guests costs €121.50 per person per night. This amounts to €1,701 for the group per night. Guests who want catering can book services provided by Steph Moeran, the caretakers' daughter and a chef.
The castle is built over the remains of a structure owned in the 1500s by Richard Nugent, an Anglo-Saxon lord known as the Black Baron. Local legend says his daughter, Sabina, haunts the castle. According to the story told by Richard Moeran, Sabina fell in love with Orwin O'Reilly, the son of an Irish chieftain. When Orwin was imprisoned across Lough Sheelin, Sabina rowed out to bring him food and water.
The legend states that Sabina fell ill with yellow fever and was bedbound. When she recovered, she found that Orwin had died in her absence. She returned to the castle and died shortly after in her bedroom at the top of the tower. Another version of the tale claims the couple tried to escape by boat during a storm. Sabina was rescued, but she woke three days later to learn Orwin had drowned.
The room where Sabina is said to have died is available for guests to rent. It features a mahogany canopy bed and whitewashed stone walls. The heating in the room turns on automatically to protect against damp. The castle also contains a room named after Myles O'Reilly, who reportedly stayed there the night before his death at Finea in Co Westmeath. Legend says O'Reilly bit through an axe wielded by a Scotsman during a fight against British invaders.
Visitors have left comments in the guestbook about their stays. One group spent Christmas at the castle, while others hosted weddings and social weekends. A Dutch visitor wrote in the book that the only spirit living there is the spirit of hospitality. The Moerans say Sabina appears only to men, a detail Richard shared with female guests but not necessarily with their male partners.
