Dark Side of Waterford: Ghosts, Vampires & Strange Tales from Ireland’s Oldest City

With more than 1,100 years of history beneath its streets, Waterford has collected more than its fair share of stories.

Beyond the Viking walls, medieval towers and grand country estates lies another side to the country’s past — one filled with mysterious figures, restless spirits, old curses, and stories passed from one generation to the next.

Many of Waterford’s ghost stories and supernatural tales were preserved in Ireland’s National Folklore Collection, recorded from local people almost a century ago. Others appear in old books and historical accounts, where fact and folklore often sit side by side.

So, as Halloween approaches, settle in for a journey through some of Waterford’s strangest stories, from a mysterious vampire in Ireland’s oldest city to a supernatural traveller on the roads of West Waterford.

Waterford’s Mysterious Vampire

Long before vampires became staples of books, television and cinema, an unusual tale was already being told about Waterford City.

In his 1914 book Vampires and Vampirism, British writer Dudley Wright included a tantalisingly brief reference to a female vampire said to lie beneath a graveyard in Waterford, close to what he called “Strongbow’s Tower”. According to the legend he recorded, the mysterious woman was believed to lure unsuspecting visitors towards her. Intriguingly, Wright gives her no name and offers no elaborate origin story – leaving much of the tale shrouded in mystery.

The location is almost as intriguing as the story itself. An earlier travel book from 1912 also refers to Waterford’s Reginald’s Tower as “Strongbow’s Tower”, suggesting that Wright may have been referring to the familiar landmark that still stands at the heart of the Viking Triangle today.

The legend has grown considerably in the telling over the years, but that simple early account might be the most atmospheric version of all: somewhere among the ancient streets of Waterford, a mysterious woman was once said to sleep beneath the ground.

Just around the corner from Reginald’s Tower stand the medieval ruins of Greyfriars, or the French Church. Founded as a Franciscan friary in the 13th century, its weathered arches make an atmospheric addition to any wander through Waterford’s historic quarter.

A Curse at Curraghmore

Set among sweeping gardens and woodland outside Portlaw, Curraghmore is one of Waterford’s great historic estates. The estate has been home to the ancestors of the Marquesses of Waterford since the 12th century, with centuries of history contained within its walls and grounds.

Unsurprisingly, somewhere along the way, folklore became entwined with that long history.

One story preserved in the School’s Collection tells of a widow who was said to have placed a curse on the Beresford family “to the seventh generation”. Another version of the tradition, recorded from a 70-year-old Waterford man, claimed that the mysterious figure of a woman was sometimes seen, or her voice heard, around Curraghmore before a death in the family.

Whether believed as a supernatural warning or simply enjoyed as a story passed down through the generations, the tale offers a fascinating glimpse into the folklore that once grew around Ireland’s great estates.

And in daylight? Curraghmore could hardly be less sinister. Its landscaped grounds, historic house, arboretum, terraces, and enchanting 18th-century Shell House make it one of County Waterford’s most impressive heritage attractions.

Beware of Petticoat Loose

Not all of Waterford’s supernatural figures were content to haunt grand houses. Some preferred the open road.

One of the most distinctive characters to appear in Waterford folklore is Petticoat Loose, a mysterious female spirit whose stories were particularly associated with West Waterford and the countryside around Lismore, Cappoquin, and the Knockmealdown Mountains.

A story recorded from a 60-year-old Cappoquin man in the 1930s places her in woodland near Lismore Glen. Travellers were said to encounter her along the road, where she would ask for a lift. Those who obliged quickly discovered something was amiss: according to the story, she became impossibly heavy, leaving even strong horses struggling beneath the mysterious extra weight.

Other versions place Petticoat Loose around Bay Lough, near the Knockmealdowns, and the details change from teller to teller – exactly as you might expect from a story kept alive through oral tradition.

That variety is partially why her story is so intriguing. Rather than belonging to one house or graveyard, Petticoat Loose seems to inhabit the landscape itself: quiet roads, deep woods, and lonely mountain passes where an evening journey could take a distinctly unexpected turn.

The Strange Cries of Templemichael

On the banks of the River Blackwater, close to the Waterford-Cork border, the ruins of Templemichael Castle have their own story of a restless spirit.

An account preserved in the School’s Collection tells of Garrett Fitzgerald, described in the story as the last of his family to live at Templemichael Castle. When he died, he was buried at Templemichael rather than at Ardmore, where other members of his family have been laid to rest.

According to the local tale, a mysterious cry began to be heard close to the water in the nights following his burial. Eventually, relatives came from Ardmore and brought him there to be interred with his family.

The storyteller finishes with a wonderfully simple line: after that, the cry was heard no more.

It is the kind of understated ghost story that Irish folklore does particularly well: no elaborate apparitions required, just a lonely riverside, a strange sound in the darkness, and someone who, perhaps, simply wanted to go home.

A Mysterious Companion on the Máma Road

Deep in the Comeragh countryside, an old road between Curraheen and Kilbrien was once known locally as the Máma Road.

A folklore account collected around Kilmacthomas describes it as a lonely route with mountains rising on either side – and notes that numerous strange stories are associated with it.

One of those stories tells of two men returning home from Waterford City by horse and cart. As they travelled along the Máma Road, one of the men became aware of a stranger walking alongside the horse.

His companion could see nobody.

The mysterious figure eventually disappeared, but the horse was left so exhausted that the travellers had to find another animal to complete their journey. The same account records another unusual incident on the road some years later, when part of the men’s cart appeared to be disturbed by unseen hands.

Today, the Comeraghs are better known for spectacular mountain scenery, waterfalls and walking trails — but stories like this are a reminder that these landscapes have been travelled, named and talked about for generations.

Gothic Tales at Ballysaggartmore

Few places in Waterford look more suited to a ghost story than Ballysaggartmore TowersThe Towers Walk, Ballysaggartmore.

Hidden among woodland outside Lismore, the Gothic-style towers and bridge were built in the 19th century as part of the entrance to a much grander estate project. The elaborate house that was originally envisaged was never completed, leaving behind the extraordinary towers visitors encounter in the woods today.

Local storytellers added another layer to Ballysaggartmore’s history. Accounts collected around Cappoquin in the 1930s preserve tales of curses connected with the estate and the Ussher Kiely family who once lived there. They are oral traditions rather than established historical events, but their survival shows just how firmly Ballysaggartmore had become part of local storytelling.

In truth, the Towers need very little supernatural assistance.

Follow the short woodland trail today, and their turrets and arches gradually appear between the trees like something from the pages of a Gothic novel. The easy 2km loop takes around 30 minutes and is a particularly lovely walk when the woods begin to turn for autumn.

Step into Waterford’s Darker History

You don’t need to go searching for ghosts to discover Waterford’s darker side.

In the heart of the Viking Triangle, the Irish Wake Museum explores centuries of Irish customs, traditions, and superstitions surrounding life, death, and the wake. Housed inside a historic former almshouse, the guided experience offers a thoughtful and fascinating insight into an important part of Irish cultural history.

This Halloween, visitors can also join Crime, Grime & Graveyards – Urban Underbelly, a special after-hours walking tour from the Viking Triangle to Ballybricken. Running from 27th to 30th of October 2026, the tour uncovered stories of crime, punishment, superstition and everyday life from across the city’s long history and is suitable for visitors aged 16 and over.

Or simply take a stroll through the Viking Triangle itself. Reginald’s Tower has stood at the heart of Waterford for centuries, while medieval churches, narrow streets, and layers of Viking, Norman, and Georgian history make Ireland’s oldest city an atmospheric place to explore at any time of year.

Discover a Different Side of Waterford this Halloween

Ghosts or no ghosts, there is something irresistible about an old story.

The tales preserved across Waterford offer more than a seasonal scare. They give us a glimpse into the stories previous generations told about the places around them – the mysterious roads, ancient ruins, great houses, and familiar landscapes that still form part of Waterford today.

So this Halloween, discover another side of Ireland’s oldest city and county. Wander beneath Gothic towers in an autumn woodland, uncover centuries of traditions at the Irish Wake Museum, explore Waterford’s historic streets after dark or simply keep an eye on the road as you make your way through the Comeraghs.

After all, in a place with more than 1,100 years of stories to tell, who knows what you might discover?