On the hills overlooking Barnageeragh bay stands Ardgillan castle, which was originally known as Prospect, because of the fine view from there of Skerries and the coast northwards to the Mourne Mountains. The castle is situated on 194 acres of land.
The extensive parkland which surrounds the house has a series of woodland walks running through it. These were originally laid out by the Taylor family for their women folk. The parkland is connected to a section of Barnageeragh beach by a footbridge across the road and railway. This footbridge is called the Lady's stairs and the section of the beach to which this bridge led was private and known as "The Lady's" Bathing place.
The back door of Ardgillan, which looks out on to a terrace lined with yew trees, is connected to the front door through a series of passageways. Down one of these passageways is a glass door which leads to the cellars.
In 1737 this property was purchased from a Dublin wine merchant, Robert Usher, by Captain Taylor. After Captain Taylor died, Mrs.Taylor decided to move from Ardgillan and live in Meath. Accordingly she dismissed her staff, but agreed that her gardener could use the gardens in exchange for taking care of the castle grounds. She also left him keys to the castle.
Some months later, the gardener’s two sons were working on the terrace when they heard footsteps coming down a flight of stairs in the house. The footsteps approached the terrace door, and then stopped. Suspecting an intruder, the two men looked in a window but saw no one. They then checked all the doors, and found them securely locked.
When they told their father the story, he laughed, but later he told them his own story:
A few years earlier, he had cause to return to the castle at ten o’clock at night. Carrying a basket of vegetables, he entered the house by the terrace door and walked along the passage to the kitchen. Passing the glass cellar door, he saw a woman dressed in white standing behind it. Thinking she was locked in, he moved to open the door and the lady vanished. Puzzled, he continued on to the kitchen and left the basket on the table. On his return, the figure was again standing behind the glass door. Once more the gardener tried to make contact with her, but she disappeared.
Some time later, the gardener mentioned the apparition to Mrs. Taylor, who revealed that she, had been visited by another spirit, her son, who appeared and talked with her four nights after his death.
No other sightings of the son have been reported, but it is said that the "White Lady" can be seen on the Lady’s Stairs.
Getting there
If you want to visit this cache using public transport, the bus route to take from Dublin City centre is the No. 33 which will drop you off at the "Ladies Stairs" on the road between Balbriggan and Skerries,Alternatively, you can take the 41 from Dublin City Centre to Swords, and then take the 33A (which from Swords on follows the same route as the 33).
The Cache
In order to claim this cache you will need to do the following :
1. Visit the first location to get the co-ords for the second location
2. At the second location obtain the information that will give you the location of the final part of the cache.
The Windsockers
www.geocachingireland.ie