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Ardee Castle

The castle in Castle Street without the later addition of the centre-front. This is perhaps the first streetscape available to us. It is also taken from Grose. 'The castle is thought to be the work of the Pipard family, early Norman settlers who needed a protective stronghold.

The castle functioned as a prison in later centuries and a bridewell was built after a design by Neville during the nineteenth century. The building still functions as a courthouse and is currently being renovated.

Ath Fhirdia is the Ford of Ferdia, where the ancient hero fought his epic fight with Cuchullain about two thousand years ago. Then and for long afterwards it was an important river crossing on the highway of Slighe Midhluachra which led from Tara to Armagh; but it was not yet a town. That did not come about until the end of the twelfth century, and it was the achievement of invaders from England, the Anglo-Normans.
It was they who created the medieval town of Ardee with its single broad street, its parish church, its two monasteries of Crutched Friars and Carmelites, its chantry college, and its three castles; and secure within its walls, their township became a body corporate, with portreeve and council to manage its affairs, all under the protection of the Lord of the manor.

The first Lord of Ardee was Gilbert Pipard, who was soon succeeded by his brothers Peter and Roger in turn. It is Roger who must be regarded as the real founder of Ardee. During the thirty years of his lordship, from about 1197 until his death in 1225, the Anglo-Norman occupation of the country was consolidated and the town of Ardee established in its essential features.
Stranger as he was in a hostile country, his must urgent need was a keep or strong-. hold. Where he built it we are not told, but it was probably the earthwork known as Castleguard which still survives east of the town. Certainly it was not the present building, because competent authorities assign this to a date not earlier than the fifteenth century'. (Mac lomhair)

For information on the castle see, Diarmuid Mac lomhair, Ardee Castle, and the index of articles of local interest from the County Louth Archaeological Journal.