I like ghost stories

Somebody on a forum I frequent posted these European ghost stories. They're spooky and kind of neat, so I thought I'd share.

Venice - Poveglia - An island not open to tourists. Was originally a self-governing island hundreds of years ago before being taken over by Italy. When the black plague swept over the country, Poveglia was where the dead bodies and even those who were still alive were dumped. They were put into "plague pits" where hundreds or even thousands of bodies and still-living victims of the disease were thrown in and either buried, burned or just left in the open to rot. Centuries later, a hospital was built by a doctor who tortured patients and who tried experimental therapies of his own invention on mental patients. The hospital, his office and the crematorium, still stands. The island is used for farming only and no tourists are permitted on the island at any time. Psychics have received special permission to visit and even they were scared out of their minds.

Northern Italy - Lucedio Monestary - This place is haunted by monks and people who were sacrificed. There were footsteps heard, apparitions were seen, sounds were heard.

Northern Ireland - Larne - Ballyboley Forest - Local legend tells that this was an ancient Druid site. There are distinctive marks (circular trenches and stone formations) embedded into the ground towards the north east part of the forest, long grown over, but still quite obvious. During the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries there were supposed disappearances of a number of people living in the area. Even today the place sends a shiver down the spine, people are wary to venture off the tracks (you need to find the marking sites). Reports of shadowy figures walking among the trees or strange animal like noises have been had on many occasions. The place was opened as a national park by the council, with paths been laid down for walking routes, but very few people, in fact nearly no one ever goes there now. There has been a fair few modern events in the forest that have given the place a creepy reputation. Back in 1994 there was an incident were a young couple witnessed a massing of black smoke and the sounds of a screaming voices in the near distance from their position, they quickly left the forest. On another date (1997, this is actually in a news paper report!) two men say that they were in the forest when they heard a loud flapping sound. They thought nothing of it at first but as they got continued walking they started to hear other strange sounds like a lady moaning in pain. They thought someone was in trouble and left the track to enter the forest to find the distressed lady. Their horror began when they came to a place where the trees were smeared thickly with blood. They found no lady but the strange sounds started again very close to their position. As they fled in terror one man looked behind him and seen four human shaped figures in the forest behind him (standing motionless, not pursuing), where previously there had been no one there. They were clad in brown rags and had their head covered as well. In addition to the ground markings there are also rumored to be natural footpaths in parts of the forest (I cannot confirm this). It is said the forest contains a gateway to what the Celtic called "The Otherworld". It is also said by some people that they get a feeling that "something in the forest is watching me". There are many stories and superstitions about the place, how many are true you can only guess at, but something has definitely happened up there to scare local people and give the place such a reputation.

Roscre - Black Death Hospital - The black death hospital lies in a padok in Roscre Ireland it is known by locals so ask for the right location. The hospital was the children’s hospital dealing with all the suffered of the black death. About 10 years ago they were digging some sewer pipes and suddenly without warning the skulls and bones of 50 plus children fell into the ditch! Noone not even the locals will stay here at night as the children’s ghosts "or as legend goes" will lure you to your death so you can join them.

Southern Ireland - Dublin - The Dublin Hellfire Club - Built in the 1700s as a hunting lodge, it was taken over almost immediately by aristocratic upper class members of society in Northern Ireland. They started the "Hellfire Club" where they performed satanic rituals, animal and human sacrifices and many other horrific things. Locals stay away from it ant night and only a few known tourists have ever ventured inside at night. They all report seeing dark figures and shadows walking and running through rooms and behind stones outside. Once, two girls went there for a visit, put their sleeping bags inside and went for a walk around the building outside. From outside, they saw a dark shadow cross the room where they had left their things. One of the girls wanted desperately to return to the Inn where they were registered as guests, but they would have had to cross the huge forests surrounding the building, which they said they could not do. They went back inside the club and went up to the top floor where they got to the top landing. They reported feeling safe and relieved on that landing and could not bring themselves to wander back anywhere else including outside until dawn. It is rumored that when the club was active hundreds of years ago, people would sometimes get lost at night and accidentally wanders inside the club and be forced to participate in rituals. Some would not survive the night, and others spent the rest of their lives wandering in a sort of horrified blindness. The landing where the girls found refuge had reportedly been blessed by a priest in the area in the early 1800s and an exorcist was brought in the late 1800s. Nobody has ever visited the site at night and not reported being scared out of their minds.

Southern Ireland - Leap Castle - There is a devilish creature that walking the castle. It is believed that the creature was created from the spirits of all of the men and women who were killed there.