Built around 1543 by James Dowdall, a member of one of the Pale’s most influential Anglo-Norman families, the castle would have been a substantial fortified residence typical of the era. The Dowdalls were significant landowners in the region, and James’s decision to construct a castle here reflected both the family’s wealth and their need to maintain control over their territories during a time of considerable political upheaval.

The castle survived for roughly three centuries, witnessing the various conflicts and changes that swept through Ireland during that time. However, like many of Ireland’s medieval and early modern castles, it met its end not through warfare or siege, but through nineteenth-century neglect and demolition. The exact circumstances of its destruction remain unclear, though it was likely dismantled for building materials or simply allowed to fall into ruin as newer, more fashionable residences were constructed nearby.

Today, nothing remains visible of Cooley Castle above ground. The site, documented in both the Archaeological Inventory and Survey of County Louth from the 1980s and 1990s, serves as a reminder of how much of Ireland’s built heritage has been lost over the centuries. While archaeological investigations might yet reveal foundations or other subsurface features, for now the castle exists only in historical records; a ghost of the Dowdall family’s former power in this corner of Louth.