Coolmoney House was built in 1837. In later years, the property become part of Glen of Imaal army camp and was used as accommodation for officers until 1990.

According to a local story, when the house belonged to the Hutchinson family, a young servant girl called Nelly became pregnant by one of the local gentry. Sadly, it was not unheard of for poor unfortunates like Nelly to be “disposed of” by their wealthy employers, rather than face the scandal that would ensue and subsidise the upbringing of a child. Nelly was murdered and her body was thrown from an upstairs window, presumably in a despicable attempt to make it look like she had taken her own life.

Years later, in Room 21a, officers stationed at Coolmoney began to notice something unsettling: a dark stain on the wooden floorboards. It was said to resemble blood. Even after the floor was replaced, the mark returned, always in the same spot.

In the years before the building was finally demolished in 1999, strange sightings began to emerge. The daughter of a commanding officer claimed to have seen a ghostly figure multiple times: first in the stables, then staring silently from an upper window, and finally standing quietly near the base of the wall—the very place Nelly is said to have died. A prayer service was eventually held in her memory, in an effort to lay her spirit to rest. And it was during this ceremony that Nelly was reportedly seen one final time. She appeared semi-transparent, dressed in white with a black sash, her long dark hair falling gently over her shoulders. According to the witness, this time she looked at peace.

Coolmoney House may be gone, but some say Nelly remains. At dusk, along the site where the grand house once stood, people still report seeing a woman in white—silent, still, and watching.