Roodstown Castle, tower house located in County Louth, Ireland
Roodstown Castle is a four-story tower house from the 15th century built of thick stone with small corner turrets. The structure features a vaulted ground floor for storage, narrow defensive windows including ogee-shaped openings on upper levels, fireplaces for warmth, and a crenellated parapet for guards with a murder hole above the main entrance.
The castle was built in the 15th century, possibly as part of a royal scheme under King Henry the Sixth to fortify the Pale in Ireland. In 1596 it was burned during a plague outbreak and was never fully repaired afterward.
The castle bears the Irish name Caisleán Bhaile an Rútaigh and was associated with the Taaffe family, a notable noble lineage in Irish history. The structure symbolizes local heritage and remains a quiet connection to the medieval Irish way of life and family lineage.
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 castle stood at the junction of two rivers, the River Glyde and River Dee, giving it a strategic location for watching over the land and controlling trade routes. This river position made it a key point in a network of tower houses protecting this coastal region of Ireland.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
