The Castle was built as a medieval castle under the command of King John of England. It was built around a big central courtyard and included four corner towers connected by high curtain walls. The main entrance to the castle was through two large wooden doors placed at opposite ends of the south tower. Inside the castle were public rooms such as halls, libraries, and museums where visitors could see all sorts of royal possessions.
After the English conquest of Ireland in 1171, Edward I moved his capital from London to Dublin. He needed a suitable location for his new city and chose a site on the Liffey River with good access to markets and shipping lanes. The original town was surrounded by a stone wall with three gates: North Gate, South Gate, and West Gate. In 1316, Robert Fitzwalter built another gate called East Gate to replace an earlier one that had been destroyed by fire. This last gate remains today near what is now O'Connell Street.
During the 16th century, Dublin Castle became a major political prison where Irish rebels were held before being executed. Many famous people have also been held here including Oscar Wilde, Daniel O'Connell (the "Liberator"), and Éamon de Valera (the founder of modern-day Ireland).
The castle was made from Flemish bricks and began construction in 1441. Although the castle appears to be powerful on the outside, with a massive gatehouse and towers, the walls were too weak to withstand a real attack. It was largely a private mansion surrounded by extensive Elizabethan gardens. The last resident, Charles II, escaped through the back door of his bedroom after the royal family had gone into exile in 1660.
The castle was abandoned after the death of its owner, Lord Byron, in 1792. By then, it was already in a terrible state of disrepair due to lack of maintenance by its new owners. The main entrance was blocked up, there were no windows in the lower floor rooms, and the upper floor rooms were empty and falling down.
In 1816, the castle was bought by John Hobart, the son-in-law of William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of Indiana. Under his management, the castle was restored to its original form. It was not until 1824 that Indiana became part of America as part of the United States. In 1825, Hobart opened the castle to tourists, and it has been operating since then.
The castle is open daily for tours that include the ground floor hallways, living quarters, and public rooms; the first floor with its large central room known as the Great Hall; and the second floor with its collection of Victorian paintings.
Ireland's Dublin Castle was rebuilt by England's King John, and it was finished in 1230. It was used for city defense, the Royal Treasury, and judicial administration. There was a central square, four round towers, and defensive walls in the courtyard. The castle was almost destroyed during the 1641 Irish Rebellion but was restored to its present shape after this event.
Dublin Castle is a large complex of buildings on Castle Street in Dublin, Ireland, that serves as the official residence of the British monarch. The complex includes government offices, a court house, and various other ancillary structures. It is also the largest inhabited fortress in the world.
The earliest evidence of human activity at the site of today's castle comes from a ring ditch and timber fortification dating from AD 800. The current castle was constructed between 1230 and 1540 with funds provided by King Henry III. It replaced an earlier castle on the same site which had been completed by 1171. The new stone castle was an exteri-or rather an extramural castle because it was built outside the protective walls of Dublin then under English rule. The reason for this construction is not clear but may have been due to lack of money or need for greater security. However, the outer bailey did not contain all the necessary facilities for a permanent garrison so some officers were stationed there along with some soldiers when required.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 BindleyHardware & Co Inc.
