Jordan's Castle

Jordan's Castle lies in the harbor town of Ardglass, in County Down, in Northern Ireland.

Ardglass was an important port and town in the Anglo-Norman Earldom of Ulster and an impressive group of tower-houses are features of its townscape. There were 6 of these castles of which now there are still 4 to be seen; Cowd Castle, Margaret's Castle, Ardglass Castle and Jordan's Castle. Jordan's Castle is the most noticeable and strongest one.

When the castle was built is unknown. The earliest authentic reference is to a defense of the castle by Simon Jordan against the O'Neills for 3 years, until relieved by Lord Deputy Mountjoy in 1601. In 1911 the Belfast antiquarian, Francis Joseph Bigger, bought the castle and restored it, using it for storage and to display a collection of antiquities. After he died in 1926 the castle came into State Care.

Jordan's Castle is a rectangular tower-house, 4 stories high, with 2 rectangular projecting turrets on the north side. These turrets are joined at roof level by a high machicolation arch to defend the entrance to the castle below. In this it resembles Kilclief Castle and Audley's Castle north of Ardglass.

A nice tower in a pleasant little seaside town, too bad that the castle was closed when we visited. I don't know, however, if it ever opens it door for visitors.

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