The Tower Museum in Derry has long been associated with a tragic 19th-century tale, and many visitors believe the building is still home to the restless spirit of Mary Ann Knox. According to historical accounts, Mary Ann was shot and killed by a man named McNaughton, who was widely rumoured to have been her secret lover. The romance — real or imagined — ended violently, and the shock of her death became a well-known story in the region.

Today, the museum displays a number of historic vehicles, including what is said to be the second oldest surviving coach in Ireland. Staff and visitors alike claim that it is this coach that Mary Ann seems most drawn to. On quiet days, people have reported an unexplained chill around the carriage, and some say they have felt as though someone was standing just behind them when the space was empty.

Most intriguingly, the museum has displayed photographs taken by visitors in which a strange mist appears inside the coach — shapes and shadows that were not visible at the time the images were captured. Whether atmospheric coincidence or something more mysterious, the images have become part of the Tower Museum’s ghostly folklore.

To this day, the story of Mary Ann Knox continues to fascinate, and many who tour the museum pause a little longer at the old coach — just in case she is still travelling with it.