The 18th century Stewards of the Hellfire Club, based on Montpelier Hill, located at the fringe of Dublin city, placed the location shrouded with dark mysteries and infernal folklore. Originally Montpelier Hill was a hunting lodge built by William Connolly, a well-known parliamentarian. After Connolly’s death, it began to be used by a series of clubs, darkly baptized as the Hellfire Club where a group of Dublin’s elites would meet up for card games, heavy drinking, purportedly black mass and rumored demonic manifestations. This club was chartered to commemorate the devil, and stories of wild behavior and debauchery are widely reported. One chilling tale is that of a card game, disrupted by the appearance of a stranger. The stranger joined the game and a player dropped a card and bending under the table to retrieve it noticed that the stranger had cloven hoofs instead of feet. It was alleged that the stranger disappeared in a ball of flame, supposedly the devil himself. Another alleged event tells the tale of a priest who came to the club to confront the evil there and ended up dead, adding more sinister aura to the place. Tours of the lodge are still conducted today, giving visitors a glimpse into the macabre past and providing plenty of chilling and eerie tales to take home. It’s said that you can still sense the dread and fear that once roamed these halls. Today the Hellfire Club is a popular place for hikers, offering fine views over the city. But many visitors comment on the eerie feeling that still envelopes it, and few would venture there after dark.