Set amid 700 acres of woodland and rivers in the heart of Connemara, Ballynahinch Castle began life in the 17th century as a fortified home of the O’Flaherty clan, later passing to the powerful Martin family — including Richard “Humanity Dick” Martin, founder of the RSPCA. The present manor house dates largely to the 18th and 19th centuries and has long carried a reputation for quiet, lingering presences among its lawns and pathways.

One figure in particular is said to remain lovingly attached to the grounds — that of an elderly gardener known only as “Morby.” Described as a gentle old man wearing a broad black hat, he has been seen tending the paths and raking near the walled garden long after closing hours, or wandering the riverside walks at dawn. Those who have met him report nothing sinister — only a brief, calm encounter before he vanishes into thin air.

According to staff tradition, Morby was once a devoted gardener who worked at Ballynahinch for much of his life. Even after death, it seems, he could not bring himself to leave the gardens he loved. Locals say his ghostly appearances began sometime in the early 20th century and continue sporadically to this day, most often around the changing of the seasons.

Though his name doesn’t appear in surviving estate records, “Morby” may have been a nickname — perhaps a corruption of Murphy or Mórbhaí. Whatever his true identity, his spirit fits the character of Ballynahinch itself: tranquil, timeless, and deeply rooted in the Connemara landscape.