Smarmore Castle
| Smarmore Castle | |
|
County Louth | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Smarmore Castle | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | N94528592 |
| Location: | 53°48’52"N, 6°33’56"W |
| Village: | Ardee |
| History | |
| Information | |
| Condition: | Converted to residential clinic |
Smarmore Castle is a mediæval castle in Ardee, County Louth.
The Castle was first appears in the official record in 1320 as the seat of the Taaffe family.[1][2]
The Taaffe family, originating from Britain, lived in Smarmore Castle up to the 1980s. While the tower house was built in around 1320, other buildings of the castles have been established in 1730 to 1750.
After the Taaffe family sold the castle it was converted into a guest house. In 2015, Castle Craig, a British Addiction Treatment Centre, acquired Smarmore Castle. The Smarmore Castle Private Clinic, a drug and alcohol treatment centre, opened in 2016.[3]
Origin of Name
The name Smarmore is seen to have its origin in an Irish language legend known as Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley).
References
- ↑ Taaffe, Rudolph: 'Taaffe of County Louth' in the Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society, 1958 (Volume 14; issue 2) pages 55–67
- ↑ 'Taaffe's Smarmore items up for auction': Barry Landy, 16 October 2015 on thisisardee.ie
- ↑ 'Smarmore Castle Private Clinic holds official opening': Kelvin Farrell, 6 July 2016 on thisisardee.ie