9 castles, from Norman keeps to the tower houses that Gaelic and Anglo-Irish families raised in their hundreds — and the ones that are now four walls and a jackdaw.
Ardee Castle also known as St. Leger's Castle, is a fortified medieval tower house in Ardee, County Louth in Ireland. Built in the 15th century, the castle was used as a prison during the 17th and 18th centuries and became Ardee's district courthouse until June 2006 when a specialised facility took its place.
Athclare Castle (or archaically Aclare, Irish Caisleán Áth Cláir) is a Tudor tower house in the Dunleer area of County Louth in Ireland. Built in the 1550s, Athclare was built for the Barnewell family, and is typical of defensive architectural structures built in the Pale during the Tudor period in Ireland.
Barmeath Castle is a country house near Dunleer in the centre of County Louth. Of note are the castle's 10 acres of gardens designed by the 18th-century landscape architect Thomas Wright. Barmeath Castle was erected in the 15th century and the Bellew family have lived there since 1670. It is the ancestral seat of the Barons Bellew.
Castle Roche (Irish: Dún Gall) is a Norman castle located some 10 km (7 miles) north-west of Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. It was the seat of the de Verdun family (also spelt de Verdon), who built the castle in 1236. It is built upon a large rocky outcrop and commands extensive views of the surrounding country.
Darver Castle is a fortified tower and manor house located in Readypenny, Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, dating back to the 12th century. The name "Darver" is derived from the Gaelic word "Dairbhe" meaning "Oakwood."
King John's Castle, also known as Carlingford Castle, is an enclosure castle and National Monument located in Carlingford, County Louth, Ireland.
Roodstown Castle is a 15th-century tower house and National Monument located in County Louth, Ireland.
Smarmore Castle is an Irish Medieval castle located south of Ardee in County Louth.
The Mint is a fortified house and National Monument located in Carlingford, County Louth, Ireland.
Descriptions are Wikipedia's own opening lines, used under CC BY-SA 4.0 with a link to each article; the list and the coordinates come from the same place. Nothing here is a guide to access — many of these are private homes or stand in private fields.
What stood in Louth before anybody thought of building a keep.