Dunmoe Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dunmoe Castle |
|
|---|---|
| Native name Irish: Caisleán Dhún Mó |
|
| Dunmow Castle | |
.jpg)
Illustration from Picturesque Ireland (1885)
|
|
| Type | Castle |
| Location | Dunmoe, Navan, County Meath, Ireland |
| Area | Boyne Valley |
| Built | mid-15th century |
| Architect | Anglo-Norman |
| Official name: Dunmoe Castle | |
| Reference no. | 482 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Dunmoe Castle is an old castle and a very important historical site, known as a National Monument, located close to Navan in Ireland. It's a cool place to visit and learn about history!
Contents
Where is Dunmoe Castle?
Dunmoe Castle sits on the northwest side of the River Boyne. It is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) northeast of Navan. Imagine it looking over the river!
The History of Dunmoe Castle
The name "Dunmoe" probably comes from the Irish words Dún mBó. This means "hillfort of cattle." A hillfort was an old type of fort built on a hill. This suggests that a fort might have been here even before the castle was built.
The D'Arcy family built Dunmoe Castle in the mid-1400s. It was an important building because it marked the western edge of an area called The Pale. This was a part of Ireland that was controlled by the English government a long time ago.
A survey from the 1650s shows that Thomas Darcy owned the whole area. His property included the castle, a church, a watermill, an orchard, and a place for catching fish.
Dunmoe Castle in Times of Conflict
In 1649, during a time of war called the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, soldiers passed by Dunmoe Castle. They shot at the castle from the other side of the river. Luckily, the castle did not get much damage.
There's a famous story about the castle's owner, George d'Arcy. Legend says he hosted King James the night before a big battle called the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Then, the very next day, he hosted King William! This led to a funny saying: "Who will be king, I do not know, But I'll be d'Arcy of Dunmoe." It meant he didn't care who won, as long as he kept his castle!
Later Years of the Castle
A two-story building attached to the east side of the castle might have been added in the 1700s. A drawing from 1795 shows the castle was still complete then. However, it was burned down during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Today, only the two southern towers and some of the walls are left standing.
What Does Dunmoe Castle Look Like?
Dunmoe Castle is an Anglo-Norman donjon (which is another name for a strong main tower or keep). It was first built as a rectangle, about 15 meters (49 feet) long and 10 meters (33 feet) wide. It had a tower at each of its four corners. Over time, two of these towers and the entire back part of the castle have fallen down.
The ground floor of the castle is now buried. But it used to have a vaulted ceiling, which means it had an arched roof. It also had a loft and narrow openings called arrowslits in the south wall. These arrowslits were used for shooting arrows out of the castle. The spiral stairs, called newel stairs, in the southwest tower have a special opening called a gun loop. This was a small opening for firing guns.
Close to the castle, there is a small chapel. This chapel holds the tombs (burial places) of the D'Arcy family.
