Standing in the south Offaly landscape a few miles from Birr, Emell Castle is a a tall, rectangular tower house of considerable presence. It retains its original spiral staircase along with some intact original floors. Adjoining it is a late seventeenth century T-shaped house with farm buildings of various dates clustered around it, the whole complex representing centuries of continuous occupation and adaptation. The Buildings of Ireland record describes it as one of the most striking structures in the south Offaly landscape, and it is easy to see why.

The story most commonly associated with Emell Castle belongs to the mid-twentieth century, and to a man known locally as Sir Arthur. An enthusiastic fox hunter, he was a familiar presence in the area – a man who lived for the hunt, for the sound of a horn, and for the company of his hounds. By all accounts, he thought about it to the end.

When Sir Arthur died in the 1960s and his will was opened, his family discovered that he had left one final, deeply unusual instruction. He wished to be fed to his hunting dogs. So that he could remain part of the hunt forever, he had arranged for his ashes – after cremation in England – to be returned to Ireland, mixed with dog food, and given to his beloved hounds. His friends and companions carried out his wishes.

Whether or not Sir Arthur achieved what he intended, something associated with him appears to have remained. Every year on Halloween night, those near Emell Castle have reported hearing the sound of a hunting horn. Following it comes the rumble of hooves and the baying of hounds, circling the old tower in the dark before fading away. No hunt is visible. No riders are ever seen.