Old Graveyard & Church Ruins Outside Clogherhead
Owing to the colour of marine life there, part of the headland has been dubbed Red Man’s Cave. Sometimes it is also known as Dead Man’s Cave… During Oliver Cromwell’s invasion of Ireland in 1649-50, British soldiers were said to have put to death a number of Catholic priests hiding in the cave on the coast at Clogherhead; the name Red Man’s Cave is said to have derived from the sight of the slain priests’ blood on the walls within the cave. Apparently, until very recent times – the cave is now inaccessible from the land - the inside of it was painted red to commemorate the event.
A much more fantastical tale associated with the area is that of the ghastly Captain Redman. Local lore has it that Redman helmed a small ship to Ireland from Spain. The journey was plagued by ill luck, odd occurrences and, as most of the crew succumbed to a deadly bout of scurvy, death. By the time the ship reached the coast of Ireland, only the Captain and six crew members were left alive. Taking shelter from stormy weather along the coast at Clogherhead, the remaining crew members and Captain Redman came ashore at the cave to seek sanctuary. With no sign of the storms abating, the men were forced to camp at the cave for several nights. It is said that each night, one of the crew died in mysterious circumstances, and eventually, the two remaining men came to the conclusion that Captain Redman must be responsible. They ambushed him and chopped off his head, sticking it on a spike at the mouth of the gaping cave entrance. Legend has it that anyone who ventures to the cave at night, might catch a glimpse of the headless spectre of Captain Redman in search of his head; which has been heard whistling at the mouth of the cave…
