Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

('The Courthouse') Almost rectangular in plan with westward-projecting towers at the NW and SW angles, it is constructed of roughly coursed limestone blocks, boulders and greywacke. It is four storeys high, has been modernised and is still occupied. The area between the westward-projecting towers has been filled with a two-storey modern addition through which the present entrance passes. The original doorway, which is constructed of hammer-dressed and chamfered limestone and has a two-centred arch, is situated in the N wall close to the NW angle. There is a murder hole behind the doorway in the passage area which leads to a large N-S barrel vault and to the stairwell which is situated in the NW angle-tower. There are garderobes at first-, second- and third-floor levels in recesses in the SE angle-tower which projects very slightly eastwards. Most of the original windows have been replaced except for those at third-floor level and in the projecting towers. A large ogee-headed ope, now blocked up, can be seen in the S wall at second-floor level, a twin-light cusped ogee-headed window in the E wall of the ground floor, and some plain slits at various levels, now blocked. All of the remaining original windows that are still open are constructed of hammer-dressed limestone and have ogee heads.

There is a machicolation at wall-walk level in the NW angle directly over the original doorway. The NW and SW angle-towers rise above the parapets and are crenellated, as are the tops of the main castle walls. The parapet walls are carried on a slight oversailing at wall-walk level and have drain holes. The wall-walk is constructed of large greywacke slabs. (Bradley 1984a, 272-5; Wright 1758, bk II, pls XVII, XVIII; Murtagh 1982, 50-65)

The above description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of revision: 17 July 2007

References

Murtagh, B. 1982 The fortified town houses of the Pale. Unpublished MA thesis. University College, Dublin.

Bradley, J. 1984 Ardee: an archaeological study. County Louth Archaeological and Historical Journal 20 (4), 267-96.

Wright, T. 1748 Louthiana: or an introduction to the antiquities of Ireland. London. Thomas Payne.