The Gormanston Foxes

4 Apr

Since the 1700s residents of the Gormanston Castle in County Meath, Ireland have reported that when the head of the Gormanston family is about to die, all of the foxes of the area make their way to the castle doorway to hold vigil.

History of Gormanston Castle

Gormanston Castle. Photo: Meath History Hub

Located approximately 30 km north of Dublin, near Drogheda and adjacent to the borders of County Meath and County Dublin, stands the magnificent Gormanston Castle.

It has a quadrangular design with towers at every corner, except for the north-western corner, and is made up of three storeys. The central section of the frontage is bordered by two slender castellated towers on each side of the entrance.

In the 1950s, the castle's surroundings were expanded with the construction of a boys' secondary school next to it.

Gormanston Castle served as the residence of the Preston family, also known as the Viscount Gormanston, from the 14th century until it was sold to the Franciscan Order of Friars in the late 1940s. The current castle structure was constructed in 1786 by the Prestons, replacing the earlier castle that was present on the site.

In 1955, the Franciscans established a boys' boarding school on the castle grounds, which is now known as Gormanston College.

Nowadays the school is a co-educational institution that offers both day school and boarding school options, and is under the management of the Franciscan Province of Ireland.

The Legend of the Gormanston Foxes

Legend has it that when the head of the Gormanston family is on his deathbed, all the foxes in Co Meath except nursing vixens, gather at the entrance of Gormanston Castle to keep watch until he passes away.

This unusual fox behavior is said to have begun in the 17th century, when the then Lord Gormanston saved the life of a vixen and her offspring during a fox hunt. There is also a local story that suggests a witch transformed into a fox and the Lord Gormanston saved her life, leading to the foxes' strange behavior.

During the winter of 1860, when the twelfth Lord was on his deathbed, Lord Fingall recounted that a villager had said, "My Lord, you will not find any fox today, all the foxes have gone to Gormanston to see the old lord die." The foxes were observed around the house and heading towards it for several days prior to his passing.

The Preston family crest. Photo: Jack Hammersley

Just before his death, three foxes were seen playing and making noise close to the house. The next morning, they were found crouching in the grass in front and around the house, but they did not harm the poultry. The foxes disappeared after the funeral. It is worth noting that the Preston family crest features a running fox, which is unique to their family crest.

The Thirteenth Lord Gormanston

In 1876, when the thirteenth Lord passed away, foxes came in pairs from all over the country into the demesne. They sat under his bedroom window, howling and barking all night. Although the thirteenth Lord seemed to be improving, the foxes' appearance and barking under the window seemed to have an adverse effect, and he unexpectedly passed away that same night. A group of foxes was reported to have walked in a line parallel to the cortege carrying his body to the churchyard.

The Fourteenth Lord Gormanston

Similarly, when the fourteenth Lord Gormanston died in 1907, foxes were seen around the house and heading towards it for several days before his passing. When his son stayed with the body overnight, he heard a slight noise outside the chapel. Upon opening the side door, he saw a full-grown fox sitting on the gravel path, with several more moving quietly about within a few yards. The gardener and coachman also observed around a dozen foxes barking and crying near the chapel.

Finally, when the fourteenth Lord passed away in 1925, foxes surrounded the chapel where his body was resting, and despite his brother's attempts to remove them, they refused to budge until daylight.

The Gormanston Foxes in the 20th Century

In June 1940, a resident of Gormanston reported hearing foxes barking all night, which was later attributed to the death of the sixteenth Lord Gormanston in Dunkirk.

During World War II, a family member went missing and was declared legally dead after seven years, leading to his widow's remarriage.

The groundskeeper suspected something was amiss since the foxes did not bark during that time. In 1952, the missing family member reappeared, claiming to have suffered from memory loss.

The castle and estate were sold to the Franciscans, who opened a boarding school called Gormanston College in 1954. In 1967, the school was awakened by a terrifying howling and barking, causing nearly 600 young boys to scream in fright.

Despite an investigation, no explanation was found until a report in the Irish Independent revealed the death of a Preston family member in Tasmania the previous day.

What do you think about the legend of the Gormanston Foxes? Let us know in the comments.

Irish Historian Noel French tells the story of the Gormanston Foxes

If you enjoyed learning about the legend of the Gormanston Foxes you might be interested in other European legends such as the banshee or the sluagh.

Featured