Castle Roche, Norman castle in County Louth, Ireland

Castle Roche is a medieval castle ruin built on a rocky outcrop in County Louth, Ireland, with two towers and a great hall forming the core of the structure. The site retains a gatehouse and sections of curtain wall, giving a clear sense of how the original Norman layout was organized.

The de Verdun family built this fortress in 1236 to secure a key position at the boundary between Ulster and the Anglo-Norman territory known as The Pale. Over the later medieval centuries, the castle changed hands several times and gradually fell out of use as a military post.

The Murder Window takes its name from a legend about Rohesia de Verdun, who offered marriage to the man who would build the castle to her liking. After the wedding banquet she is said to have urged her new husband to look out at the estate, then pushed him from the window to his death. Rohesia later became a nun at Gracedieu Priory in Leicestershire, died in 1247 and was buried at Belton parish church, where her effigy can be seen.

The ruins sit on private farmland northwest of Dundalk, reached through farm gates, so visitors should follow any signs and respect the landowner's access conditions. The path up to the rocky outcrop is uneven, and sturdy footwear is a good idea.

The castle stands on a large rocky outcrop above a deep moat, and a secret passage once linked it to a round tower outpost. St. Ronan's Well lies nearby. The de Verdun family held the site for generations; Nicholas de Verdun, who died in 1316, was in charge during Edward Bruce's invasion.