Ardee Castle Potential as Medieval Banquet Venue Discussed in New York
Ardee News and Sport – Ardee Castle Potential as Medieval Banquet Venue Discussed in New York
The potential of Ardee Castle as a medieval banquet experience venue for tourists, similar to Bunratty Castle, has been discussed with Tourism Ireland in New York. Ardee Municipal District Cathaoirleach, John Sheridan, attended meetings with Tourism Ireland as part of the Louth County Council delegation to New York for St Patrick’s Day.
Cllr Sheridan shared insights from the meeting: “We met with Tourism Ireland staff in New York who work on promoting Ireland to the United States and Canadian markets. We were impressed that their presentation on Louth included Ardee Castle, the Jumping Church at Kildemock, and Sea Louth, the Louth coastline food trail.
“During an extensive discussion on Ardee Castle, we informed Tourism Ireland that a review of tenders for the renovation is underway, and hopefully, construction can start later this year, subject to funding. One route discussed was the potential for Ardee Castle’s large hall to host medieval banqueting experience events for tourists.”
He emphasized the significance of such an initiative: “This would be a very novel use of Ardee Castle. The renovation will hopefully be underway soon, and there is much potential for local and civic events in the Castle. The idea of the Castle being used as a ‘banqueting experience’ would make Ardee a destination for tourists as well as bringing jobs and spending to the town.”
Highlighting the historical significance of the venue, Cllr Sheridan added: “The current castle dates to the 15th century, and the fact that both King William and King James stayed at Ardee Castle before the Battle of the Boyne provides a cross-community peace element to the US market.”
The discussions also included genealogy tourism, with Cllr Sheridan noting the growing trend of older generations traveling to Ireland with their children and grandchildren to explore their ancestry. “The recent burial records project in Dowdallshill demonstrates the importance of making these records easily accessible online to facilitate travel planning in advance. Hopefully, similar research on burial records can be rolled out to other cemeteries in the county in the future.”
During the visit, the delegation also met with Bernadette Lynch, originally from Ardee, who is Office Manager and Marketing Executive with IDA Ireland in New York and has lived there for over 30 years. Cllr Sheridan acknowledged IDA Ireland’s commitment to attracting US companies to invest in Ireland, with a focus on highlighting the benefits of Louth to potential investors.
The Louth County Council delegation included Chief Executive David Conway, Director of Services Thomas McEvoy, County Cathaoirleach Kevin Callan, Ardee MD Cathaoirleach John Sheridan, Dundalk MD Cathaoirleach Seán Kelly, and Deputy Mayor of Drogheda Pio Smith.ronger than ever, ready to continue his undefeated streak on the world stage.
