Once the grand residence of the Ffrench family, Monivea Castle earned a quieter and more uneasy reputation after tragedy struck within its walls. According to long-held tradition, a butler in service to the Ffrenches took his own life in one of the upper rooms sometime in the late nineteenth century. Soon afterwards, his ghost was said to wander the corridors at night, unnerving servants and guests alike.

A local priest was eventually called to intervene, performing prayers intended to “move him out” of the house. The rite seemed to work — at least partly. The butler’s restless spirit was said to have shifted to the castle gardens, where he continued to serve his masters in death as faithfully as he had in life, guarding the grounds and deterring intruders.

Even today, visitors walking through the Monivea Woods trail report a distinct feeling of being watched near the walled garden behind the ruins, or claim to hear the faint clinking of metal chains around the old service courtyard — sounds the locals still attribute to the butler.