- Type
- Ruin
- Built
- c. 1176 · 12th century
- Style
- Norman architecture
- Coordinates
- 53.5543°, -6.7898°
History
Hugh de Lacy, granted the lordship of Meath by Henry II in 1172, raised a timber-and-earth ringwork by a ford on the Boyne, which was burnt in 1173 by the forces of Rory O'Connor, the last High King of Ireland. Around 1176 work began on a stone keep, later enlarged by Hugh's son Walter de Lacy, and in the early decades of the 13th century the castle was ringed with a towered curtain wall and gates. It later passed to Geoffrey de Geneville and the Mortimers. In 1399 Richard II left the young Henry, the future Henry V, here together with his brother Humphrey. From the 16th century the fortress lost its importance and decayed, until the Office of Public Works conserved it in the 1990s.
What to see
In the middle of a vast ward of more than three hectares rises the three-storey cruciform keep – with a turret on each face it has no fewer than twenty corners. Guides take visitors inside, and new walkways and stairs lead up to the top with views over the river and the town. Long stretches of towered wall survive along with the Dublin Gate and its barbican, while across the Boyne stand the ruins of St Mary's Abbey with its tall Yellow Steeple.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q2165568
Popularity: articles about this site in 16 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).