Rocjardstown Castle

Adjoining the S side of a mid- nineteenth-century house, modified and used as part of the residence, it is almost square in plan and has a round projecting tower at each angle. The towers rise above the parapets and have modern castellations built with brick. The opes have all been broken out and relatively modern windows inserted. The exterior walls are plastered, but where the surface has come away a considerable quantity of brick can be seen in the upper portions of the building. However, the lower levels are constructed of limestone blocks and greywacke, now covered with pebble-dash. The internal structure was considerably altered at the time of the building of the house in 1860 and little remains of the original layout. (Leslie 1908, 117, 141) 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

Rocjardstown Castle, later known as Richardstown Castle, was built in the mid-nineteenth century, likely by a local landowning family. Its importance lies in its architectural integration with a later residence and its example of early castle adaptation during the 19th century.