Jordan's Castle

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Jordan's Castle is a castle situated in Ardglass, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a 15th century reactangular Tower house four storeys high and vaulted above the ground floor. Small towers project northwards from the north-east and north-west corners. The entrance is at the bottom of the north-west tower and leads to a spiral stairway to roof level. It is protected by a machicolation at that level. The projecting towers are connected by a high-level arch which also functions as a machicolation. Simon Jordan defended the castle for three years during the Tyrone Rebellion or Nine Years War until relieved by Lord Mountjoy in 1601. In 1911 the Belfast antiquarian, Francis Joseph Bigger, bought the castle and restored it. He subsequently bequeathed it to the State.

Ardglass had at least six castles and remains of four of them can still be seen: Ardglass Castle, Cowd Castle, Margaret's Castle and Jordan's Castle.

[edit] References

• Ardglass Castles

[edit] External links

• Excavation at Jordan's Castle, 1999

[edit] See also

• Castles in Northern Ireland