What is recorded here

Castle Derry, Castle Cara, Castle Luggey and Plunkett's Castle still populate Louth town memory through Issac Butler's 1744 list, yet no visible trace remains for any of them. They exist now as absent markers, named only in the archive and imagined in the mind. What is missing is not nothing; it is a shape waiting to be seen.

In 1744 Issac Butler mentioned seven castles in Louth town; three are unnamed and the others are as follows: 'Castle Derry, Castle Cara, Castle Luggey and Plunkett's Castle' (Paterson 1944, 321). No visible trace of any of these. The above description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 July 2007

This remains an important historical record, but the official description says the monument is no longer visible or has been destroyed. The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.