Castle, Dillonstown, Co. Louth
Standing in Dillonstown, County Louth, are the sparse remains of what was once known as Glidemouth Castle, a structure that appears on Taylor and Skinner's 1778 map of Ireland.
Castle, Dillonstown, Co. Louth
Today, only a small fragment of the western facade survives, offering a glimpse into what was once a substantial fortified dwelling. The ruins have been somewhat obscured by a renovated stone house built directly against the southern side of the original structure, creating an unusual architectural hybrid where medieval meets modern.
When surveyed in 1966, the castle retained several notable features including the remnants of a stairwell tucked into the southeast corner and a plain doorway positioned at first-floor level in the south wall; telltale signs of its former domestic arrangements. By that time, however, the building had already suffered considerable deterioration, with its upper portions removed during an earlier conversion attempt to transform the medieval tower into a more conventional dwelling house. This adaptation ultimately failed, leaving the structure in a state of complete ruin.
Historical records from the Irish Schools Manuscript Collection provide intriguing details about the castle’s original dimensions, describing it as a square tower measuring 30 feet on each side and rising to an impressive height of 60 feet. These proportions suggest it was a typical Irish tower house, likely built during the late medieval period when such fortified residences were common throughout the countryside. The castle’s appearance on eighteenth-century maps indicates it remained a notable landmark well into the modern era, even as its military significance had long since faded.





