Located in the middle of the city, Dublin castle is a beautiful, storied castle complex with newer portions built in the Victorian times and the oldest tower built in 1204. Boasting lovely staterooms, gorgeous paintings and statuary, this building was the governmental seat in Ireland for most of the past 800 years! There’s quite a bit historical architecture and gardens to see as well as St Patrick- well, the stone sculpted face of St Patrick.
Location
Dame St, Dublin 2, Ireland Telephone +35316458800 https://www.dublincastle.ie
Easy Pronunciation
Dublin Castle- Dub-lin Castle
Chapel Royal
Reasons to Visit
- We’ve already mentioned the architecture but the variety in medieval and Victorian gardens is not to be missed
- Learn about Ireland’s interesting history in their amazing guided tours
- Walk through Irish State rooms that are still in use today for governmental balls & functions
- Explore the lovely Chapel Royal and the last surviving Medieval tower
- See how they’ve blended amazing architectural styles- Medieval, victorian, Roman, and modern
Attractions & Must See-Must Do’s
- One of our favorite places was the Chapel Royal- interior is exquisite and the grotesque faces are hilarious
- Obviously, you have to check out the last tower.
- Do NOT miss the chance to take a guided tour through the old foundations where they found Roman and older stonework and foundations
- Rest your feet in the beautiful Victorian gardens and take a listen to a local musician playing there (there’s never been a time when there hasn’t been one when we’ve been)
- Take the tour and see the beauty of the staterooms
- Try to find St Patrick’s face near the old Records Tower
- See the amazing collection of religious artifacts in the Chester Beatty Museum located in the castle
- The Garda Museum (police) is also in Dublin castle and worth a minute or two if you can spare it
Throne Room
Local Places to See & Stay
- Check out one of Ireland’s oldest buildings, Christ Church, just a skip down the road
- Temple Bar area is also super close and has amazing shops, restaurants, and of course- pubs
- Take a tour of the Guinness Storehouse and then have a pint in their Guinness Connoisseur Bar which boasts one of the best views in Dublin
- Trinity College Library is a must-see- It’s breathtaking on its own and was the inspiration for sets in Star Wars movies
- Check out Jameson Whiskey distillery- we don’t really have to explain why
- Best for last: Clontarf Castle is located on the edge of Dublin and YOU CAN STAY THERE. Check out booking here.
Brief BUT Interesting History
If you know anything about Irish history, you know that there’s been turmoil on Irish soil pretty much since the beginning. Dublin Castle was commissioned by English King John after an attempted Norman invasion in 1169. This medieval castle was basically finished in 1230 with a large courtyard in the middle with towers in each corner. Originally it was built alongside the River Poddle (not poodle), that added an extra layer to its defense. Only the Record Tower is still standing from this era which we think is still pretty good considering it’s a few years shy of 800 years old.
The rest of Dublin castle is a beautiful hodge-podge of varying styles of architecture. The current throne room used to be the Battleaxe Hall before its extensive conversion in the 1830’s along with the State drawing rooms. During the time of English rule, the Lord Lieutenant (head honcho from England), resided in this part of the castle and had his own rooms and dining rooms. Parts of these areas are in original condition and date back to the 1740’s. Saint Patrick’s Ballroom is the grandest of all the rooms in the castle and features beautiful frescos on the ceilings depicting Irish lore and traditions. This room is still used today for formal government functions and for the swearing in and inauguration of the Irish Presidents.
While we’re chatting about leadership and the castle, we thought we’d mention one of the craziest stories you’ve never heard about the castle. In 1907 the Irish Crown jewels (yeah, we didn’t know they had any) were straight up stolen just days before the English King Edward was scheduled to visit. The jewels were never recovered and there was heavy suspicion that the Officer at Arms, Sir Arthur Vicars was the thief. Even though many people thought that he orchestrated it, there were rumors that he had sexual liaisons with prominent men in London and that may have ‘compromised’ the investigation. More recent theories have suggested that Irish nationalists were responsible for the theft as a way to stick it to the King that would be showing up shortly. We don’t know what the truth is but we love the mystery!
During the very beginning of the Easter Rising in 1916, Irish soldiers captured parts of the castle. During the Anglo-Irish War, AKA War of Irish Independence, three major Irish Republican Army men were tortured and executed at the castle. Once Ireland achieved independence in 1922 (Yay!) most major administrative functions moved out of the castle. Today, the castle has some governmental offices but mostly serves ceremonial functions and holds daily tours and great collections for the public. Every so often they’ll have a state dinner but so far we haven’t been invited 😉
Additions have been made over time, such as the Chester Beatty museum which was constructed in the 2000’s to hold one of the most comprehensive collections of religious ancient texts. The museum is divided into two sections: Western (more of the Christian tradition) and Islamic collections. The gardens outside have also been restored and have a section dedicated to fallen Gardai. Recent renovations found old Viking fortifications in the castle complex as well as foundations for the old Powder Tower from the medieval castle. You can check them out in one of their newer exhibits and learn more about how and why Dublin came to be.
We loved hearing about the storied history of the ancient people and their history over time, especially their fight for independence and we know you’ll find it inspiring and fascinating too.
Tower & Chapel Royal from Garden
‘Good to Know’ Tips
- There’s not a ton of parking in this area- find a local car park or walk from your hotel if you can
- Unlike many other castle complexes, this castle doesn’t really have a large cafe so check out our tips below for more info
- The tours are only about 70 minutes but we recommend spending 2-3 hours at Dublin Castle
- Ireland is called the Emerald Isle for a reason- bring a small umbrella. ****
- Guided tours to the old Viking defenses can get booked up early so buy ahead of time
- There’s a small gift shop onsite but you know we recommend doing things a little bit different*
Gifts & Memorabilia*
Book: https://amzn.to/3cjVfh2
Puzzle: https://amzn.to/3fcBzxF
Coat of Arms: https://etsy.me/3w7T5JB