Dublin Castle

One of the great fortresses of Europe

Dublin Castle is one of the great fortresses of Europe, and was nicknames "Ireland's Bastille". It was here that the King's Viceroy ran the government of Ireland, here that official functions and state entertainment were held. These reached their peak in the late 19th century.

St Patrick's Hall

Dublin Castle was one of the places attacked during the Rising, and it played its role in both the maintenance of the old rule, and the arrival of the new. Here, in St Patrick's Hall, the Presidents of Ireland are now inaugurated. Since Viking, perhaps even Celtic, times, this rise of land on which the castle stands has been an important stronghold.

Built by the Normans

The castle Dublin was built by the Normans almost immediately after their invasion of Ireland, the first work being undertaken in 1204. Under the medieval English, the Tudors and later regimes it was the centre of foreign rule over Ireland. Neglected for a time, the castle has recently taken on a new lease of life. Excavations by archaeologists at Dublin Castle have cast light on the past, while its use for European Union Events opens the way to the future.

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle by Peter Costello
Publisher: Merlin Publishing, 2001
ISBN: 0863276105

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