What is recorded here

Castle, unclassified in Castletown (dundalk Upper By.) stands as a ghost in County Louth, marked only on a 1655 map southeast of the crossroads. Richard Bellew received grants in 1472 and 1479 to build two castles there, yet no stones or walls remain for anyone to touch. The earth keeps the shape of what was ordered, while memory has forgotten the name of the man who lived inside it.

Richard Bellew received a £10 grant to build a castle of the standard dimensions at Castletown in 1472, and a second grant in 1479, for a second castle at Castletown. Garstin's map of Castletown and Dundalk (1655) clearly shows a castle SE of Castletown cross roads (Gosling 1991, fig. 10a), although the exact position is not precisely known, and there is no further record of this castle. (Tempest 1943, 184-5; Bradley and King 1985, 58-9) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload: 4 May 2016

Richard Bellew received grants in 1472 and 1479 to build castles at Castletown, indicating his role in the area's medieval defense or administration. The site is remembered through historical records and early maps, such as Garstin's 1655 map, which document its existence.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.