Ringhaddy Castle (Tower House), off Ringhaddy Road, Ringhaddy, Killyleagh, Co. Down

Ruined remains of a 15th century tower house, partly rebuilt c.1600. The building is located on a narrow neck of land to the S of Castle Island, where the island joins the Ringhaddy peninsula- itself off the W coast of Strangford Lough, c.3 miles SW of Killinchy. The building is three storey with a gable level and constructed in rubble. Almost all of the S W and N walls have survived but some sections of E wall are missing. To the SW corner is a full height square tower with the remains of a stair tower to the NE corner. To the W rises a tall chimney stack whose upper section is harled. Fire places are still present to the first and second floors of the internal face of the W wall, though both have recently inserted timber lintels, with their grates partly patched in brick. There are window openings of various sizes throughout to the upper floors. A second floor window to the left on the W wall has what appears to be a recently added stone ‘frame’. The walls appear to have been harled at one stage and repointing appears to have been carried out in recent times to large sections of the stone work. The S wall is abutted by the gable of a two storey outbuilding, of probable mid 19th century date. This castle is now in state care. SM Down 17:16.