Built in 1236 by Lady Rohesia de Verdun on a rocky outcrop northwest of Dundalk near the Northern Ireland border, its triangular plan follows the shape of the cliff edge, making it naturally defensible on two sides. Legend says Rohesia had the castle's architect murdered so he could never build its equal.
Visiting Castle Roche
Ruin, freely accessible
"Built in 1236 by Lady Rohesia de Verdun on a rocky outcrop northwest of Dundalk near the Northern Ireland border, its triangular plan follows the shape of the cliff edge, making it naturally defensible on two sides."
Where to stay nearby
The closest castle hotel is Bellingham Castle, 15.98 km away in Castlebellingham — Built around 1660 by Sir Henry Bellingham, ancestral home of the Bellingham family until the 1950s; converted into a hotel from the late 1950s onward.
Nearest castle hotel · 15.98 km
Bellingham Castle
Castlebellingham, Co. Louth · 4-star
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