Roodstown Castle, tower house located in County Louth, Ireland

Roodstown Castle is a rectangular four-storey tower house about 15 metres high, with two diagonally opposed corner turrets projecting slightly. The vaulted ground-floor cellar survives, and the upper floors retain large ogee windows and fireplaces. A spiral stairway occupies the north-west turret, while garderobes were placed in the north-west corner.

Roodstown Castle was built in the 15th century at a crossing between the River Glyde, River Dee, Ardee and the Irish Sea. It is taller than the ten-pound castles built under Henry VI, and is locally linked to the Taaffe family. No record names its builder or inhabitants.

The Irish name Caisleán Bhaile an Rútaigh is recorded for the site, and the castle is locally associated with the Taaffe family. Nothing is preserved about its inhabitants, not even the name of its builder. Tower houses like this one were residences of the Irish landed gentry between 1400 and 1650.

The castle sits about 3.6 kilometers northeast of Ardee at a road junction and is easy to locate by its roadside position. The gate has been locked since the pandemic, so visitors should check ahead if a keyholder permits access before planning a visit.

The German source notes that nothing is recorded about the castle's inhabitants, not even the name of its builder. It also counts Roodstown among the best preserved of the 26 tower houses in County Louth, and gives the tower a height of about 15 metres.