The "Weird Sites" series was originally writen for The Unspeakable Oath Magazine though only one of the pieces was ever used. I once planned to write an entire book of Weird Sites for Call of Cthulhu that will be a gazetteer of every wicked place on Earth.
WEIRD SITES : THE HELLFIRE CLUB
By Andrew Behan & G. W. Thomas
HISTORY
On a wooded mound known as Montpelier Hill, in Ireland, lies the infamous Hellfire Club, scene of countless orgies and black sorceries in the time of King George II. The ancient, crumbling hunting lodge was built in 1720 by William Conolly from a near-by cairn. It is from these ancient stones that the lodge begins its evil reputation.
After the Parliamentarian’s death, the lodge was sold in 1735 to a licentious bunch of drunkards and rogues calling themselves "The Hellfire Club" These young sons of nobles and military officers who used the premises for gambling and drinking liked to rape young heiresses, who wanting to save their honor married their seducers. The young blades found it a proven way to replenish a squandered fortune. Having gotten their start in the 1730’s in the Eagle Tavern, in Dublin, Richard Parsons, the first Earl of Rosse, and the humorous painter James Worsdale led a group whose reputation for evil and devil-worship followed them to Montpeilier Hill. The Club carried on for over a hundred years, though membership dwindled away in the 1840’s when the majority of the Club’s members were expelled from Ireland, leaving the old lodge abandoned but not forgotten.
THE SITE
The site of the Hellfire Club, which lies eight miles south-south-west of Dublin, and its surrounding woods remain largely the same since their creation. Located 1271 ft. above the surrounding country, at the top of Montpelier Hill, the Hellfire Club is accessible by a Forestry Department road that cuts through the thick stands of replanted conifers. From the top of the hill, one can see Dublin Bay, the Mountains of Mourne, Mount Tibradden in particularly, and the eastern coastline.
The building is now an art gallery, but still has a look of its past villainies about it. The structure has a gross sense of permanence with the sturdy stone walls measuring two feet thick. The stone roof is intact, curving over the walls like that of a barn, despite the huge bonfire lit on it 1849 to welcome Queen Victoria to Dublin. The original thatch roof had been destroyed shortly after construction by a violent storm.
CREEPY CONNECTIONS
The reputation of the site was tainted from the start. Conolly’s use of the old Celtic burial stones, according to the local gossip, laid a curse upon the building. The violent storm that destroyed the original roof was said to be the dead souls’ retribution. This retribution did nothing to stop Conolly from constructing a safer stone ceiling.
The new tenants of the Hellfire Club were able to worsen its reputation with acts of debauchery and black magic ranging from blasphemous toasts to summoning demons. According to local legend a priest unwittingly stumble upon the Club, was captured and forced to witness ungodly acts. The sharp-eyed cleric noticed a black cat with green eyes that was treated with undue reverence. The good priest escaped long enough to fling the beast against the wall of the old lodge, then performed an exorcism before his captors could stop him. A demon fled from the slain cat, shooting up through the roof, bringing it down and allowing the holy man to escape.
The end of the tenants came years later, when the Hellfire Club were assembled for cards. A tall dark stranger entered through the door and watched the game. The surprised players looked the black-cloaked figure over, stopping at his feet which were cloven hooves. The building was abandoned and left to fall into ruins.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Newby, Eric and Petrie, Diana. The Wonders of Ireland And How to Find Them. Stein and Day: New York, 1970.
Plunkett, James. The Gems She Wore: A Book of Irish Places. Hutchinson: London, 1972.
LINKS
Copyright Andrew Behan & G. W. Thomas 1992
