Two castles stand on Ardee’s Main Street, telling the story of the town’s medieval frontier. The town also has a lively mythological tradition and a Baroque festival featuring music from the 17th and 18th centuries. Ardee is a bustling market town and one of the most important places in County Louth.
Ardee and its Tower Houses
Ardee Castle was built in the 15th century and projects into Main Street. It is Ireland’s largest surviving fortified medieval tower house. Hatch’s Castle is a four-storey tower house dating from the 15th or 16th century. It takes its name from the Hatch family, who owned the building for a time. Together, the two structures give Ardee’s medieval frontier history a tangible presence in the townscape.
Irish mythology is also part of the town’s history: Ardee is said to be the setting for the four-day battle between Cúchulainn and Ferdia, described in Cattle Raid of Cooley (An Táin Bó Cúailnge). A bronze sculpture by Ann Meldon-Hugh commemorates this legendary battle. Myth and literature therefore offer a different way to explore the town than its surviving tower houses.
Music and Activities
The Ardee Baroque Festival is traditionally held in November and is devoted to music of the 17th and 18th centuries; it has been running since 2004. At the festival, the Irish Baroque Orchestra gives concerts and runs an outreach programme for local schools and community groups. If you would like to plan your visit around this focus, you can take the traditional November timing into account.
Ardee Fairgreen has a multi-use games area (MUGA) and a playground. Ardee Golf Club welcomes individual visitors, small groups, golf societies and corporate golfers to its mature parkland course. Check the club’s current visitor booking information before travelling. This makes it possible to combine a stay focused on the town’s history with a specific activity, without treating both as the same kind of programme.
A Trip to the Surrounding Area
Kildemock Church, also known as “The Jumping Church”, is about 1.5 kilometres outside Ardee. According to local tradition, its wall “jumped” to exclude the remains of an excommunicated man from the church’s sacred enclosure. The nickname and story belong to a different place from Ardee’s castles and add to the picture of local folklore.
More Destinations in County Louth
When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing Ardee from other destinations in County Louth. Monasterboice, with its round tower and high crosses, is one of the outstanding examples of an early Christian, or “Celtic”, monastery. The Tall Cross, also known as the West Cross, is 6.5 metres high and the tallest high cross in Ireland. Muiredach’s Cross, also known as the South Cross, is 5.5 metres high and fully intact. Its carvings show scenes from the Old and New Testaments; two playing cats can be seen at the bottom of the shaft.
Another attraction in County Louth is the Carlingford Lough Greenway. The route runs for more than 20 kilometres from the village of Carlingford in County Louth to Newry City in County Down. It follows the southern shore of Carlingford Lough, mostly away from road traffic, and is intended for walking and cycling. Route conditions may change. The Greenway and the cultural sites at Monasterboice offer their own distinct experiences in County Louth; they should not be confused with the attractions in Ardee itself.
Discover more destinations: Dunleer, Drogheda, Dundalk, Lower Jenkinstown, Stabannan, Termonfeckin, Bettystown, Tallanstown.
For the broader travel overview: County Louth.
