Our last stop on our day trip from Dublin with Tour Dublin, through the Boyne Valley, was Trim Castle.
Trim Castle is the largest Anglo Norman castle in Ireland. It was constructed over about a thirty year period by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter beginning in 1173. In 1172, Hugh de Lacy was granted the “liberty” of Meath by King Henry II in an attempt to curb the ambitions of Richard de Clare (Strongbow).
During feudal times, the “liberties” were a grant of lands where the baron would hold economic and legal power, and de Lacy was granted the lands of Meath and control over all the villagers and farming peasants who lived there.
Trim Castle is the largest Anglo Norman castle in Ireland. It was constructed over about a thirty year period by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter beginning in 1173. In 1172, Hugh de Lacy was granted the “liberty” of Meath by King Henry II in an attempt to curb the ambitions of Richard de Clare (Strongbow).
During feudal times, the “liberties” were a grant of lands where the baron would hold economic and legal power, and de Lacy was granted the lands of Meath and control over all the villagers and farming peasants who lived there.
The massive Stone Keep (tower) was twenty sided and was built in the shape of a cross. A Keep from this period would have had very thick stone walls and few windows. Turrets would be used as a high vantage point for soldiers to watch for enemy attack.
The entrance to a Stone Keep was through outside stone stairs, directly to the first floor of the keep, while the kitchens and the lower hall were on the ground floor. The living quarters and the upper hall would have been on the floors above. Stone keeps provided a much more solid defense against attack compared to previous wooden keeps.
The entrance to a Stone Keep was through outside stone stairs, directly to the first floor of the keep, while the kitchens and the lower hall were on the ground floor. The living quarters and the upper hall would have been on the floors above. Stone keeps provided a much more solid defense against attack compared to previous wooden keeps.
Wonderful models of how the castle ruins would have appeared in the middle-ages help you visualize how families and servants would have lived in Trim castle. The tour is guided, so knowledgeable guides tell you all about the castle and its history.
This tower was protected by a ditch, curtain wall and moat. The Castle was used as a center of Norman administration for the Lordship of Meath, one of the new administrative areas of Ireland created by King Henry II of England.
Several noble families owned the castle throughout the next three centuries with the castle finally ending up in royal hands by 1423, when it passed to Richard of York and his son Edward IV.
Interestingly for those who have heard the term “beyond the pale” Trim Castle actually marked the northern boundary of “The Pale” which was the area in Ireland directly under English control during the middle ages. The lands beyond that were considered wild and treacherous.
Several noble families owned the castle throughout the next three centuries with the castle finally ending up in royal hands by 1423, when it passed to Richard of York and his son Edward IV.
Interestingly for those who have heard the term “beyond the pale” Trim Castle actually marked the northern boundary of “The Pale” which was the area in Ireland directly under English control during the middle ages. The lands beyond that were considered wild and treacherous.
You must take in the views from the heights of the keep where you can see not only the defensive curtain walls, but the rolling countryside that the lord of Trim Castle would have ruled. You can also see the ruin of St. Mary’s Abbey, founded as an Augustinian Abbey.
The abbey is situated on the north bank of the River Boyne opposite the castle on land given to St. Patrick. It is said that he founded the abbey. The abbey was a prominent pilgrimage site, famous for the healing power of its statue of the Virgin Mary, until it was dissolved by King Henry VIII during the Reformation.
Little remains of the abbey except for the Yellow Steeple, the ruin of the abbey bell tower named for the yellow color of the stonework in the setting sun, and Talbot's Castle, an abbey building that has been converted to a manor house which is to the left of the abbey tower.
Little remains of the abbey except for the Yellow Steeple, the ruin of the abbey bell tower named for the yellow color of the stonework in the setting sun, and Talbot's Castle, an abbey building that has been converted to a manor house which is to the left of the abbey tower.
The castle fell into decline during the 16th and 17th centuries, but for us, while the castle’s history was very interesting, what really caught our interest was the fact that the castle had been used in scenes from the film, Braveheart.
I know…… How shallow of us! But it was pretty fun to imagine how they transformed the castle into the city of York in the movie and to see where the London Square had been located by the castle wall!
I know…… How shallow of us! But it was pretty fun to imagine how they transformed the castle into the city of York in the movie and to see where the London Square had been located by the castle wall!
RSS Feed