Clontarf Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clontarf Castle |
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Clontarf Castle from the front, showing 1837 core with modern lobby and other additions
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| General information | |
| Location | 3 Castle Avenue |
| Town or city | Clontarf, Dublin, Dublin 3 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°21′53″N 6°12′24″W / 53.364754°N 6.206675°W |
| Construction started | 1837 (current structure) |
| Completed | 2002? (latest modifications) |
Clontarf Castle (Irish: Caisleán Chluain Tarbh) is a very old castle in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. It's famous because the Battle of Clontarf happened nearby in 1014. The castle you see today was built in 1837, but there has been a castle on this spot since 1172! Over the years, it has been a bar, a place for live shows, and now it's a hotel.
Contents
The Castle's Long Story
Who Owned the Castle First?
The very first castle here was built in 1172. We don't know for sure who built it, but it was either Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath or his friend Adam de Phepoe.
Later, the castle belonged to the Knights Templar. These were a group of warrior monks. After the Templars were stopped in 1308, the castle went to another group called the Knights Hospitaller. They kept it until the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, which is when King Henry VIII closed down many religious places. The last leader of the Hospitallers at Clontarf, John Rawson, gave the castle to the King in 1541. In return, he was given the title of Viscount Clontarf.
Changes Through the Centuries
In the year 1600, Queen Elizabeth I gave the castle and its lands to Geoffrey Fenton. He was her secretary for Ireland. Later, the castle passed to the King family through marriage.
However, George King of Clontarf took part in the Irish Rebellion of 1641. Because of this, his lands were taken away by the government.
The Vernon Family's Long Stay
During the time of Oliver Cromwell in Ireland, the Clontarf estate was given to Captain John Blackwell in 1649. Blackwell then sold it to John Vernon, who was a high-ranking officer in Cromwell's army. The Vernon family ended up owning Clontarf Castle for about 300 years!
In 1660, John Vernon passed the castle to his son, Edward Vernon. After Edward died in 1684, one of his sisters took over. But in 1695, another John Vernon, who was Edward's cousin, said he had a right to the estate. An Act of Parliament in 1698 agreed, and the castle was given to him.
The last Vernon to directly own Clontarf Castle was Edward Kingston Vernon. He inherited it in 1913 but only lived there for six months. After that, he rented it out to John George Oulton and his wife Mona. The Oultons finally bought the castle in 1933.
JG Oulton passed away at the castle in 1952. His son, Desmond, then sold the property. He needed to sell it to pay taxes and other costs that come after someone dies.
From Cabaret to Hotel: Modern Times
The castle was empty for a few years until 1957 when Mrs. Egan bought it. She sold it soon after to Eddie Regan in the 1960s. In 1972, Gerry and Carmel Houlihan bought the building. They turned it into a very popular place for live shows and entertainment (a cabaret venue) until 1998.
Clontarf Castle then had a big makeover. It re-opened in June 1997 as a four-star hotel with 111 rooms.
What Clontarf Castle Looks Like Today
The Modern Castle Building
The castle building you see now was built in 1837. It was designed by a famous Irish architect named William Vitruvius Morrison. He built it for John Edward Venables Vernon, who owned the castle at the time, because the old building wasn't safe anymore.
As the Clontarf Castle Hotel, it has been made much bigger with new, modern parts added on.
Most of the land that used to belong to the castle has been sold for houses. But there's still a good amount of space around the castle, with a fancy gatehouse. Most of this area is now used for car parking.
Castle Connections: Music, Art, and Books
Many famous people have connections to Clontarf Castle!
The famous composer George Frideric Handel often visited the castle in 1742. He was in Dublin for the first performance of his famous music piece, Messiah. The lady of the house, Dorothy Vernon, was good friends with Handel. He even wrote a piece of music for her called Forest Music, which mixed German and Irish tunes. Some people say the nearby area of Dollymount is named after her!
The artist J. M. W. Turner painted Clontarf Castle, even though he never actually visited Ireland! His painting was based on a sketch by Maria Sophia Vernon, who was married to his supporter. The painting was accidentally called 'Caltarf Castle' for a long time. It was only in 1998 that people realized it was Clontarf Castle. It shows the castle as it looked *before* the current building was built.
The writer Cyril Connolly shared some childhood memories of the castle in his book Enemies of Promise. His mother was part of the Vernon family.
The Irish rock band Thin Lizzy even mentioned the castle in their song "The Friendly Ranger at Clontarf Castle." This song is on their first album, Thin Lizzy, from 1971.
Before it became a hotel in 1997, the castle was a very popular place for live shows. Comedians like Tom O'Connor and Maureen Potter performed there. The singer Dana was even crowned "Queen of Cabaret" there in 1968, before she won the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest.
Today, the hotel has a new conference and banqueting center. It hosts meetings, product launches, and even a regular antiques fair. It's also a very popular place for weddings. In 2014, Clontarf Castle Hotel won an award for being the "Best Hotel Event Venue."
