giant watermill wheel – surrounded by statues of tired- looking men toiling on its pedals – revolves 48 times per minute. Usually this kind of wheel would serve a function, such as generating electricity for heat or grinding wheat. But this Sisyphean contraption had no other purpose than to tire out the prisoners. The con- fined were expected to keep up the wheel’s pace for five hours a day. If it’s true that a location that plays host to severely
traumatic experiences can create a scarred environ- ment conducive to spiritual interaction between the liv- ing and the dead, then it’s not difficult to understand why Wicklow Gaol has earned a reputation for being haunted. The employees may seem nonchalant about the building’s phantasmal history, but there have been incidents reported here that have even left staff mem- bers feeling unsettled. Mahood recounts: “Once, during a night tour, we
saw a woman dressed as the matron on one of the upper floors. Everyone thought it was our co-worker Marie; however, when we returned downstairs we discovered that Marie hadn’t gone upstairs the whole night.” There are also spots in the gaol where it is unnat-
urally cold, which people who claim to possess psy- chic tendencies do their best to avoid. Just to be on the safe side, Mahood begins every paranormal evening with a protection exercise and concludes with a closing ceremony so that “nothing will follow you home except what you brought with you to the gaol.” Also, as a rule, Ouija boards are strictly for- bidden. The activity in the gaol has attracted many in the paranormal field, not surprisingly, from para- psychology students to members of the Irish Ghost Hunters Society. Many make repeat visits, often re- turning with small gifts for the ghosts, such as candy, trinkets and dolls. Whether you come for the spooks or the rich history, a tour of Wicklow’s His- toric Gaol would impress any horror enthusiast.
Wicklow’s Historic Gaol is located at Kilmantin Hill,
Wicklow, Ireland, and is open daily from 10.30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is €7.30 for adults, €4.50 for chil- dren, €6.00 for students and senior citizens. Family passes (two adults and up to three children – kids
under five are admitted free) are also available for €19.00. Night tours are €15 (no one under eighteen admitted). Paranormal tours are €50 per person (no one under eighteen admitted). For more info, visit wick-
lowshistoricgaol.com.
Bad Luck Of The Irish: (clockwise from top) Wicklow Gaol’s main hall, a poster depicting “The Walking Gallows,” the courtyard’s wheelhouse, “The Gates of Hell,” and (opposite) the street view of the prison.
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