Trim Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trim Castle |
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| Trim, County Meath, Ireland | |
The keep and curtain walls of Trim Castle
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 Trim Castle
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| Coordinates | 53°33′18″N 6°47′23″W / 53.555°N 6.7897°W |
| Type | Medieval castle |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Currently the Irish Government through the Office of Public Works |
| Condition | Ruin |
| Site history | |
| Built | from the 12th century |
| Built by | Hugh de Lacy (keep) |
| In use | Open to public |
| Official name | Trim Castle |
| Reference no. | 514 |
Trim Castle (Irish: Caisleán Bhaile Átha Troim) is a large castle located on the south bank of the River Boyne in Trim, County Meath, Ireland. It covers a huge area of 30,000 square meters, which is about the size of four football fields!
This amazing castle was built over 30 years by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter. It was the main center for the Lordship of Meath, which was a big area of land they controlled. Today, the Irish Government owns and takes care of the castle through a special group called the Office of Public Works (OPW). Trim Castle is also listed as a National Monument in County Meath.
Contents
The Story of Trim Castle: A Timeline
Who Built Trim Castle?
The land where Trim Castle stands used to belong to the church. But in 1172, Henry II of England gave it to Hugh de Lacy. This was part of creating new areas to govern.
De Lacy quickly built a strong castle. It had a large circular earthwork, protected by two rows of tall wooden fences and a deep ditch. There might have been more defenses around the cliffs nearby. Part of an old stone and wood gatehouse is still hidden under the stone gate on the west side of the castle today.
The builders chose this spot because it was on high ground. It overlooked a place where people could cross the River Boyne. This area was important in early medieval times. Boats could travel up the River Boyne from the Irish Sea, about 25 miles away. The castle is even mentioned in an old Norman poem called The Song of Dermot and the Earl.
Early Attacks and Rebuilding
Hugh de Lacy left Ireland and put Hugh Tyrrel in charge of the castle. Tyrrel was one of his main leaders. But the castle was attacked and burned by forces led by Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, the High King of Ireland. Tyrrel tried to get help but had to run away.
However, Ua Conchobair soon left. De Lacy, or Raymond FitzGerald, quickly fixed or rebuilt the castle in 1173. After Hugh de Lacy died in 1186, his son Walter de Lacy took over. He kept rebuilding the castle, and it was mostly finished by the 1220s.
New Owners: Geneville and Mortimer Families
The castle was improved again in the late 1200s and early 1300s. A new great hall was added, along with a new entrance building and stables.
When Walter de Lacy died in 1241, his granddaughter Mathilda inherited the castle. Her second husband was Geoffrey de Geneville. He was a powerful lord from France. Their granddaughter, Joan, married Roger Mortimer in 1301.
So, the castle then passed to the Mortimer family. They owned it until 1425. After that, the castle went to Richard of York. He was killed in 1460. His son, King Edward IV, then appointed Germyn Lynch to manage the castle.
Trim Castle Through the Centuries
During the 1400s, the Irish Parliament met at Trim Castle seven times. There was also a place to make coins inside the castle. It was a very important center for the area of Meath. It also marked the northern edge of The Pale, which was the part of Ireland controlled by the English.
In the 1500s, the castle started to fall apart. But it was strengthened again during the Irish Confederate Wars in the 1640s. In 1649, after the attack on Drogheda, the soldiers at Trim Castle left. Oliver Cromwell's army then took over the castle.
After the wars in the 1680s, the castle was given to the Wellesley family. Arthur Wellesley, who became the Duke of Wellington, later sold it. Over the years, it changed hands a few times. Finally, in 1993, Lord Dunsany sold the castle and its lands to the Irish State.
Bringing Trim Castle Back to Life
The Office of Public Works started a big project to fix and protect the castle. This cost around 4.5 million euros. They even partly refilled the moat and put a protective roof on the main tower. The castle was opened to the public again in 2000.
What Does Trim Castle Look Like?
Trim Castle is the largest Cambro-Norman castle in Ireland. Its main central tower, called the keep, is very special. It has a unique cross shape with twenty corners! This keep was built in at least three stages. Hugh de Lacy started it around 1174. Then his son Walter de Lacy continued building in 1196 and from 1201 to 1205.
Archaeologists have dug inside the castle to learn more about its past. David Sweetman did some digs in the 1970s. Alan Hayden did more extensive work in the 1990s.
The outer walls, called curtain walls, were built in different stages. The west and north sides have rectangular towers from the 1170s. The Dublin gate was built around the 1190s or early 1200s. The rest of the wall to the south, with its round towers, was built in the early 1200s.
The castle has two main gates. The one on the west side is from the 1170s. It sits on top of an older wooden gateway. The Dublin Gate is in the south wall. It has a single round tower and an outer defense called a barbican. This gate was built around the 1190s or early 1200s. It was the first of its kind in Ireland.
Besides the main keep, you can still see other important parts of the castle. There's a large entrance defense from the early 1300s. It has three towers and stables inside. You can reach it by a stone path over an old ditch. There's also a huge great hall from the late 1200s. It has a basement area underneath that opens to the river.
You can also see a strong defense tower that was turned into a private room in the late 1200s. There's a smaller hall added in the 1300s or 1400s. Another building, possibly where coins were made, was added next to it. There are also some stone buildings from the 1400s or 1500s inside the town gatehouse. You can also find old lime kilns, which were used to make lime for building.
Visiting Trim Castle
The Office of Public Works offers guided tours at Trim Castle. You can also explore the grounds on your own after paying an entry fee. To go inside the main castle keep, you must join a guided tour, which also has a fee. In the winter, the castle is open only on weekends and public holidays.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Trim para niños
