Dublin Castle

If you can find Carlisle Castle in Carlisle and Dudley Castle in Dudley, then you are sure to find Dublin Castle in Dublin, Ireland. If you haven't seen pictures of this famous castle, you might think that it looks just like a medieval castle with gray stone walls; well, it did look like once during the medieval times. But at present, most of it looks like a modern castle due to its demolition in the late 1600s followed by its reconstruction.

The Dublin castle was fist established upon the orders of King John in 1204, just after Ireland was invaded by the Normans in 1169, replacing the hill fort that the 9th century Vikings built on this site. This fortress was originally built with strong walls and ditches for its defense, administration and protection of the King's treasured possessions. Following the design of a conventional Norman courtyard, it was completed in 1230 with a central square without a keep, bounded by high walls and circular towers on every corner.

Many changes occurred within its walls during the middle ages, especially the addition of different wooden buildings, such as the Great Hall. This hall was used for many purposes - as a Parliament House, Court of Law and Banqueting Hall. By 1673, the almost everything was damaged by the fire, thus it was demolished and reconstructed.

The only remnant of the medieval castle is one of its towers called the Record Tower, dating from 1228 - 1230. All other structures present today were added during the 1900s.

Tourists from all over the world come to Ireland to see this castle. Not only is this one of Ireland's many tourist attractions, it also serves as a conference center. Within the castle are various state apartments, all of which exhibiting impressive interiors. One of these rooms is St. Patrick's Hall, which is considered to be the grandest room in the entire castle. Containing one of the most notable decorative interiors in Ireland, this former ballroom is now used during presidential inaugurations. This room is also famous for its painted ceiling by Vincenzo Valdre (1742 - 1814), which might have been painted well during the 1790s. The painting consists of three panels, the first one illustrating the coronation of King George III, the second containing the introduction of Christianity to Ireland by St. Patrick and the third panel with King Henry II and the chieftains of Ireland.

There is also the Throne Room, containing the throne made for King George IV during his visit in 1821. Aside from that, there are many other rooms including the State Drawing Room, Dining Room and Bedrooms, all of which displaying grand interior designs.

Now that you've known a brief history of this castle and its splendid design, wouldn't it be great for you to visit it? Come and visit Ireland and see the Dublin Castle today.