Built to house just 500 people, the Carrickmacross Workhouse was pushed far beyond its limits during the Great Famine, with as many as 2,000 desperate men, women and children forced inside its walls at the height of the crisis. Life here was harsh. Families were separated, discipline was strict, and like so many workhouses of the time, death was a daily presence. Behind the building lie the mass graves of those who never made it out.

The fever sheds, hastily constructed in 1849 to contain the sick, once stood at the rear of the site. Long demolished, they witnessed some of the worst suffering of the period. Today, the workhouse has taken on a new role as a visitor and community centre, yet stories persist that echoes from the darkest years still linger—particularly in the attic, where the ghosts of famine children are said to make themselves known.

In 2014, a paranormal team carried out an overnight investigation and reported a night of almost constant activity. During a session in the former children’s area, an EMF reader lit up and a disembodied sigh was heard. One investigator, Warren, later claimed to glimpse a mist or figure out of the corner of his eye. He and another team member, Joanne, attempted a dowsing rods experiment—Joanne reported the unmistakable sensation of a small hand gripping her own.

While the group took a break in the kitchen—with all equipment switched off—an explosive crash was heard in the adjoining room. Yet on inspection, nothing had fallen or moved.

Later, at the back of the property, Joanne spotted what she believed was a spirit walking alongside her colleague Gary. Feeling a presence at his shoulder and assuming someone was behind him, Gary turned—only for the figure to vanish.

Other experiences recorded throughout the night included dark shadows, unexplained footsteps and whistling, a woman’s sigh near a camera, muffled speech, gagging sounds, stones thrown outside, the sighting of two spectral feet, and reportedly even the full apparition of a young boy.

For this group, Carrickmacross Workhouse proved one of their most active investigations—fittingly for a building marked so deeply by sorrow, loss, and the memories of those who suffered within its walls.