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06 Sept 2025

Kilkenny one of the top ten 'most haunted places in Europe'

Kilkenny beat stiff competition from the likes of Edinburgh, Dublin and even Transylvania

Kilkenny one of the top ten 'most haunted places in Europe'

Writers describe Kilkenny and its past as ‘full of fascinating and spooky stories’

It’s the day of Halloween and no better time to recall that Kilkenny was recently named as one of the top ten most haunted places in Europe by two leading travel publications.

‘Big 7 Travel’ and ‘EnjoyTravel.com’ teamed up to find the continent’s most haunted places and Kilkenny came in at #7 on their list, beating stiff competition from the likes of Edinburgh, Dublin and even Transylvania!

The writers describe Kilkenny and its past as ‘full of fascinating and spooky stories’.

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“Located some 80 miles from Dublin, this medieval city was the site of Ireland’s first witches’ trial,” they note.

“The story goes that Alice Kyteler married into a rich family, ultimately at the expense of her stepchildren. The stepchildren then accused Kyteler of witchcraft, leading to the first trial in 1324. She managed to escape, leaving her maid, Petronilla, to be charged as a witch instead.

“Tragedy struck again in 1763. A vicious flood tore down a bridge, drowning 16 people in its wake. Today, locals report seeing creepy, misty figures rise from the river in the morning. Eerie spirits can be felt across the city – there are several ghost tours that take you to the spookiest places.”

Below is the full Top 10:

York, England
Tallinn, Estonia
Bruges, Belgium
Poveglia Island, Italy
Borgvattnet, Sweden
London, England
Kilkenny, Ireland
Edinburgh, Scotland
Dublin, Ireland
Transylvania, Romania

As the article makes clear, “whether you believe in the supernatural or not, there’s no denying that the brutal past of many European cities and towns has left a spine-chilling, eerie feeling in its wake.”

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