Roodstown Castle
Roodstown Castle ( Irish Caisleán Bhaile an Rútaigh ), about 3.5 km northeast of Ardee in County Louth in Ireland , is one of the best preserved of the 26 tower houses in County Louth. Nothing has been passed on about its inhabitants, not even the name of the builder is known. Tower houses were the residences of the Irish landed gentry between 1400 and 1650. At over 75 percent, they are the most common form of tower houses in Ireland. It is estimated that there were originally more than 2500 of these structures.
The facade of the approximately 15.0 meter high rectangular tower, formerly four storeys, and two diagonal, slightly protruding corner towers has been preserved. Inside, only the vaulted floor of the first floor has survived. There is a spiral staircase in the northwest tower.
Towers of similar design also appear in parts of Scotland , emphasizing that Scotland and Ireland were part of a cohesive culture up to the 17th century.
Built to a standard design, the tower houses were usually square or rectangular buildings with three or more stories and a crenellated parapet and a gable roof with an attic. The first floor was usually a dimly lit storage vault, but functional living spaces were on the upper floors with windows, chimneys, latrines and alcoves. Most of the tower houses had walled courtyards, within which there were servants, kitchens and outbuildings and sometimes a separate dining room. Since the early 17th century, tower houses have gradually been replaced by more comfortable and better-lit houses.
Web links
Coordinates: 53 ° 52 ′ 20.7 ″ N , 6 ° 29 ′ 12 ″ W.