The Sham Castle, Greenwood Park, Warrenpoint Road, Newry, Co Down, BT34 2PF

The Sham Castle is a folly, likely constructed between 1800 and 1819, probably by the Thompson family who owned Greenwood Park in the early 1800s. It stood within the demesne of Greenwood Park, a short distance southeast of the main house, which was demolished before World War II. The structure is visible on the 1834 Ordnance Survey map. Described in a travelogue from 1846 as a “picturesque quadrangular tower, completely shrouded with ivy, and surmounted by battlements, on which a few guns are mounted,” the folly was noted for its ‘ancient’ appearance but was considered comparatively modern and lacking historical significance beyond its aesthetic beauty. The folly has since been converted into a house. Other surviving features of the former demesne include a gardener’s cottage (HB16/10/030), a gate lodge (HB16/10/025), and the main gate screen (HB16/10/024). The building is privately owned and is located in the townland of Greenan.