Historic Places in County Louth

Barmeath Castle is situated west of Dunleer, near Grangebellew (about half way between Dublin and Belfast). Barmeath Castle is a magnificent castle set on 300 acres of parkland with 10 acres of gardens, including a lake with island. The castle has views of the Mourne mountains and the sea. Facilities Guests come to Barmeath to enjoy the romantic castle atmosphere with the beautiful gardens and parklands. Barmeath Castle is a magnificent venue for a romantic castle wedding, being one of the most attractive wedding venues in Ireland. A full wedding service is offered, organised by a professional wedding planner. As a lower cost alternative, you can hire the venue on a hire only basis, and plan your own wedding. The castle can cater for up to 250 guests. During the warmer months from May to September, the castle marquee is available on the lawn near the castle lake, providing a pleasant garden setting for your wedding. Guests can enjoy a stroll round the gardens before dinner. The chapel bell rings to call your guests for dinner. Music and fireworks add magic to the evening. Barmeath Castle was built in the 15th century, and has been the home of the Bellew family for over 400 years. The original castle was a tower house which is incorporated in the present structure. In the late 17th century the castle was renovated with Georgian interiors. Thomas Wright created the beautiful gardens, including the lake, island, rock bridge and the Shell House. In the 1830s, Patrick Bellew, enlarged the house, with the extensions including an entrance tower with portcullis.

Carlingford Castle, known as King John's Castle, is a twelfth-century royal castle on a rocky promontory above Carlingford Lough in County Louth. King John visited in 1210 and the castle commanded both the lough and the mountain pass through the Cooley Peninsula. The D-shaped enclosure with tall keep, defensive towers and elaborate entrance passage reflect sophisticated royal military architecture. Carlingford developed as a medieval walled town under the castle's protection and the town walls, medieval gates, Taaffe's Castle and the Mint still stand. The town's combination of heritage, oysters, restaurants and Slieve Foy walking makes it one of the most rewarding destinations on the east coast of Ireland.

Castle Roche is a dramatic ruined castle on a rocky hilltop in County Louth, built in the early thirteenth century by Rohesia de Verdun, one of the most powerful noblewomen in medieval Ireland. The large enclosure with curtain walls, projecting towers and a twin-towered gatehouse represents the most advanced castle-building techniques of the period. The castle's builder is the subject of a legend claiming she pushed her husband from a window after completion to preserve the secret of its design. Freely accessible and managed by the Office of Public Works, it provides one of the most atmospherically situated medieval ruins in north Leinster, with commanding views across south Louth.

Haynestown Castle is a ruined tower house near Dundalk in County Louth, in the flat fertile lowlands that formed the northern frontier of the medieval Pale. The castle was the residence of a local Anglo-Norman family in a border zone where proximity to the unconquered Gaelic territories of Ulster made defensive building a practical necessity. County Louth, the smallest county in Ireland, contains a remarkable concentration of medieval remains: the Cistercian Mellifont Abbey, the castle at Carlingford, the walled town of Drogheda and the Battle of the Boyne site together make this one of the most historically layered counties in Ireland.

Milltown Castle is situated amongst farm buildings near the town on Milltown. Milltown Castle is a tall Norman keep about 55 feet high. The castle has round towers at opposite corners. The walls have gun loops (arrow slits). Milltown Castle is a medieval castle, probably built around the late 15th century. It was built by the Gernon family. It passed to the Fortescue family in the late 17th century through marriage. The Fortescues leased Milltown to the Byrne Family in the 19th century. The castle was inhabited until the mid 19th century.

Roodstown Castle is a ruined tower house near Stabannan in County Louth, in the flat fertile lowlands between Drogheda and Dundalk that formed the northern frontier of the medieval Pale. The castle was a modest Anglo-Norman gentry residence in a landscape where the proximity of unconquered Gaelic Ulster made defensive building a practical consideration for families of any local standing. County Louth, the smallest county in Ireland, contains a remarkable concentration of medieval remains: the Cistercian Mellifont Abbey, the great castle at Carlingford, Drogheda's walled town and the nearby site of the Battle of the Boyne together make this one of the most historically layered counties in Ireland.

Seatown Castle is located on the corner of Castle Road and Mill Street in Dundalk. The building is not a castle at all, but a remnant bell tower of a ruined Franciscan monastery. The four storey tower has vaulted ceilings above the ground floor and third floors. The monastery was founded around 1240 by John Verdon. In 1282 the monastery was held by the Irish order of monks, who provided to sailors. In those days, the sea was not far from the monastery. The monastery was destroyed some time in the early 17th century. The monastery is reported to have ran in an east west line from the bell-tower. Foundations have been found on the northern side of Mill street and under Castle Road. The tower is now managed by the Urban Council who have carried out repairs in recent times.

Taaffe's Castle is a well-preserved fifteenth-century tower house in the centre of Carlingford town in County Louth, built by the Taaffe family, prominent local Anglo-Norman merchants and landowners. One element in a medieval townscape of extraordinary completeness that also includes the Mint, Dominican friary ruins, sections of town wall and King John's Castle, Carlingford is one of the most visited heritage towns on the east coast of Ireland. The town is celebrated for its oysters, medieval architecture and dramatic setting at the foot of the Cooley Mountains. The Tain Way long-distance footpath uses the town as a starting point for mountain routes across the Cooley Peninsula.