Castle Ardra (in Ruins) — Ardra

In woodland. It is described in the OS Letters (1839) (O’Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 46 (16)) as a, ‘square tower (and part of an external wall) of a ruined castle. Great part of the tower is of brick; inside it measures eleven feet two inches by ten feet [3.4m x 3m] and is about thirty feet high [c. 9m]’. A sketch of a typical window shows a pointed two-light window with Y-tracery. A description from 1942 (I.T.A. Survey, OPW topographical files) describes it as consisting of, ‘one square tower, 3-storied, built of brick and rubble. Castellated. Inside it measures 11’2” x 10’ and is about 30’ high. The windows are of granite, and have the appearance of having been taken from an old church. There is a small ditch round the tower, with a stone bridge over it. The inside stairs were removed a few years ago by Capt. Wandesforde, as they had become dangerous. It is in the demesne of Castlecomer House, about 1 mile from the gate. The main roadway through the wood leads straight to it. I have noted Ardra Castle as it is marked on the O.S maps as an antiquity, but it has an artificial appearance to me, as if it were erected as an adornment to the demesne’. The tower was demolished in 1961. The use of brick and the form of the windows suggest that this was an 18th-century folly rather than a medieval castle. The 1899 6-inch OS map shows the castle feature forming the focal point of the NW vista of a feature of radiating pathways through the woods called the 'Twelve Views'. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 8 May 2017