The Hell Fire Club

Montpelier Hill is a 383-metre hill in County Dublin, nicknamed the Hell Fire Club for reasons you will find below.

We all like a little scare from time to time, it gets the heart racing, blood pumping and the energy flowing. Fortunately you can have all of the above at the Hell Fire Club in Dublin Mountains before you reach the top, depending on the route you decide to take.

On a clear day on Montpellier Hill, where the Hellfire Club is situated, you can gaze upon our beautiful capital. You can see the chimneys of Poolbeg, all the way out to the Howth on the other side of Dublin. The start of the walk is really easily accessible by car and is less than 10 minutes from the Knocklyon exit on the M50 motorway.

So, what is the Hellfire Club?

The building was constructed in 1725 and originally purpose built as a hunting lodge. The Hellfire Club was established here in 1737, by Lord Rosse and James Worsdale among other men for regular meetings. At these meetings its said that the men would drink scatheen which was a mixture of Irish whiskey and hot butter. They would also leave a seat free for the Devil.

There are many local legends and stories about strange occurrences that took place at the meetings in the Hell Fire Club. One story told that the members of the club were playing a card game when a stranger arrived at the club on a stormy night. He too joined their game. One of the players dropped a card and when he went to pick it up, he discovered that the stranger didn't have a feet but had hooves like a goat. As soon as he realised what he was looking at, the stranger vanished into thin air.

Another tale talks of a priest that visited the club one night. The members were performing a sacrifice of a black cat. The priest took the cat and performed an exorcism on the cat and released a demon.

Fortunately today we don't need to worry about tales of demons and exorcisms at the Hell Fire Club unless you go up on Halloween night and are looking for a good scare. We do however, get to enjoy this old building which you can enter and explore and even walk to the second floor. The only thing you need to worry about is ensuring you have enough water for the short but steep walk up the the club if you decide to take the steep route. There are 2 paths, the other one being less challenging but a little longer in duration.

Either route you decide to take it is well worth it. There is a grassy area in front of the building which is fantastic spot to sit with a picnic and see if you can spot places of interest over Dublin. The view is amazing! Its a great place to bring a dog for a walk and you will meet many friendly local walkers here that are sure to give you a smile and nod hello when passing.

So, make your way to the Hell Fire Club this weekend for a nice stroll, breathtaking views and if you're lucky (or unlucky) you might get a glimpse of something spooky along the way.

Price: Free

Location: The car park for the Hell Fire Club is here

If you want to learn more about the Hell Fire Club you can visit the Dublin Outdoors website here

Image credit: lovindublin.com