What is recorded here

Louth Hall is a tower house in County Louth, Ireland, whose bones are still visible inside a later castellated mansion. A blocked doorway at the west end of the north wall once opened into a barrel-vaulted chamber, while punch-dressed quoins mark the northwest angle of the older structure. The building measures about fourteen metres east to west and thirteen metres north to south, suggesting a compact defensive residence rather than a grand palace. It may have been a home, a guard post, or a small administrative centre for whoever controlled that stretch of land.

Incorporated into the fabric of the castellated mansion of Louth Hall. The remains of the earlier building can be seen at the W end of the modern structure, as is evidenced by the slight base batter of the N wall and a blocked doorway at the W end of the N wall which must have given access to the barrel-vaulted area. The remains of the W jamb of this doorway can be clearly seen. There are also punch-dressed quoins in the NW angle. The overall measurements of the tower house are c. 14m E-W by c. 13m N-S based on where there are straight joints and where the base batter terminates. (Tempest 1952b, 151; Bence-Jones 1978, 194) 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

Built in the 17th century, Louth Hall was held by the Louth family, who played a notable role in the local gentry. The structure is important as an example of early castellated mansion architecture and for preserving visible remains of an earlier medieval building.

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