Castle - tower house, Ballymascanlan, Co. Louth
In the low-lying ground near the western bank of the Ballymascanlan River stand the weathered remains of what was likely once a formidable late medieval tower house.
Castle - tower house, Ballymascanlan, Co. Louth
Built from coursed rubble granite, only fragments of the south and east walls survive today, rising about four metres from the ground on the outside whilst the interior walls reach just two metres in height. The walls, measuring between 1.5 and 2 metres thick with a slight inward slope, have suffered considerable damage over the centuries; most of the facing stones have been stripped away, leaving only a small section at the southeast corner intact.
The eastern wall stretches for approximately 13 metres, though evidence suggests it originally extended further north, whilst the southern wall runs about 15 metres westward before disappearing into the natural slope of the hill. Though the structure appears to have been built against a raised earthwork, this impression might simply result from centuries of collapsed masonry accumulating within the ruins. The walls themselves are remarkably featureless, offering few clues about doorways, windows, or internal arrangements that would have defined the original structure.
Historical records provide tantalising glimpses of this castle’s past significance. The Down Survey marks a castle at this location, and it appears on several important historical maps, including a 1609 map of the escheated counties of Ulster and another dating to around 1568. These documentary sources, combined with the construction techniques and materials used, strongly suggest the ruins date to the late medieval period, when such tower houses served as both defensive structures and symbols of lordship across the Irish countryside.