Are you brave enough to visit the infamous Hell Fire Club one of Ireland’s most haunted sites?
Striking fear into the hearts of all those who know the legends and myths surrounding this isolated and desolate building high in the Dublin mountains.
Its scorched appearance adding drama to its historic association with rituals, black magic and the Devil.
What is the Hell Fire Club?
The Hell Fire Club is the name local people give to the isolated ruined, creepy, lonely hunting lodge. It is located in the desolate isolation of the Dublin Mountains on Montpelier Hill surrounded by deep forestry known as Hell Fire Hill Wood.
With views looking out over Dublin City this eerie place has a vicious reputation and could almost be considered peaceful in its silent isolation.
This former luxurious hunting lodge was constructed by William Connolly in 1725 and was named Mount Peilleir from then on the Hill where it resides also takes the same name.
There is no record of the original Irish name that this hill would have been called, but one thing is certain it has deep rooted associations with the burials of the ancient Irish.
The Hell Fire Club disturbed the spirits of the Ancient Ancestral Dead.
The building was doomed from the moment of its construction as it is built on the sacred land of the Irish.
This was the site of an ancient Irish passage grave, a tomb also known as a Cairn. To build his new hunting lodge of excess William Connolly destroyed an ancient sacred site.
As we all know the sites of our ancients should never be disturbed. They are sites of our ancestors and are revered.
Connolly ripped the sacred site apart using the sacred stones to build his house of debauchery. Even uprooting an ancient standing stone to use as the lintel above the fireplace.
Shortly after construction the roof was blown off the lodge during a violent storm. Perhaps a violent response from the ancestors for disturbing the resting place of the ancient spirits.
Connolly replaced the roof with a barreled vaulted ceiling.
The lodge was extensive with comfortable reception rooms and bedrooms. There were servant’s quarters and stables for horses.
The Irish Chapter of The Hell Fire Club.
The Irish Chapter of The Hell Fire Club was founded by James Worsdale and Richard Parsons 1st Earl of Rosse in 1737. Members of The Hell Fire Club were all from wealthy aerostatic backgrounds.
The Connolly Hunting Lodge was leased to the Irish Hell Fire Club and that was when its already haunted reputation took a turn into the horrific blackness of the occult.
Maybe a coincidence but William Connolly originally purchased this land from the Duke of Wharton the first founder of the first Hell fire Club in 1719.
What was The Hell Fire Club?
The Irish Chapter of The Hell Fire Club was first founded by Richard Parsons in 1735. Richard Parsons had an infamous reputation as a man who deeply dabbled in the art of black magic and occultist practices.
The Hell Fire Club draws its name from the man who choose to use this isolated location for its dark rituals all drawing from the darkest realms of occult. The Hell Fire Club was associated with amoral behavior.
Their rituals involved alcohol and sexual rituals and debauched behaviors. The secrecy held by its members led to local rumors of satanic rituals and devil worship. It is said that the head of The Hell Fire Club was referred to as the King of Hell even dressing like the winged horned Devil.
Members even left an empty place at the table for the Devil to attend.
Members were said to sacrifice blacks cats and even humans as part of their satanic demonic rituals. Those rituals were said to have taken place on a regular basis leaving a vicious presence in this ruined building.
The Tales of The Hell Fire Club.
One tale tells that a stranger joined the members at a card game one stormy evening after seeking shelter from a vicious storm that swept across the mountains.
A member dropped his cards and as he bent down to pick it up he saw that the stranger had a cloven hooves instead of feet.
The stranger disappeared into a ball of fire and was never seen again. This story might sound familiar to some as it bears some striking similarities to the legend of Loftus Hall, Irelands most haunted house.
Maybe this is a coincidence but The Loftus Family also owned a hunting lodge close by on the Hill, did the devil visit them twice. It is said that a young local boy once visited the Hell Fire Club and bore witness to the rituals and never again spoke.
The terrifying practices terrified him so much he never spoke a word for the rest of his life.
Possibly the most famous tale of Dublin’s Hell Fire Club is the haunting of a massive black cat.
The legend says that a visitor to the area went to view the infamous club and was found dead the following morning. The local farmer whom he had been staying with discovered his remains with the local priest.
Upon entering the Club they discovered the hall with the table set with a wonderful banquette and a massive black cat was prowling through the building.
The priest performed an exorcism which ripped the cat apart forcing the demon possessing the creature to break free from the cat into its natural violent form ridding the Hell Fire Club of its presence.
Upon leaving the lodge the priest discovered the farmer who was with him was lying on the ground with his face ripped apart with deep claw marks.
The Modern State of The Hell Fire Club
The Hell Fire Club is now a burned abandoned ruin. However it is still the site of strange occurrences. At night strange noises and smells come from this isolated area.
Evidence of black magic rituals is still evident today guarded by the large black cat. The rituals and sacrifices that were preformed here still linger in the air.
The spirits of human and animal sacrifices still present. Reminding us of the violent and dark happenings that once took place in this isolated and lonely hunting lodge that now surveys the lights of Dublin City