Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle is in the heart of the city set on a high ridge on the south side of the River Liffey.
The Dublin Castle complex occupies a vast area and is totally restored. The buildings were all added at different times and range from Medieval to Georgian and from bare stone to fine plasterwork. Set around the gardens and courtyards are the State Apartments, Library, Norman Tower, Chapel Royal and Coach House. Behind are the Bedford Tower and Treasury Building, the oldest office block in Ireland.
Facilities
The main areas for tourists to visit are the State Apartments, Undercroft, Garda (police) Museum; famous because it is housed in the last intact medieval tower in Dublin and perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the castle the Revenue Museum, situated in the Crypt of the Chapel Royal.
Entry to the grounds is free and there are also guided tours available Monday to Friday, 10:00 - 16:45, Weekends/Holidays 14:00 to 16:45. The Garda and Revenue museums are open Monday - Friday 10:00 - 16:00. The gift shop and restaurant are open daily.
The first stone castle was completed by King John of England in 1230 on the site of the original Viking fortress.
Originally built as a military fortress and prison it later held the Royal Treasury and Mint, Law Courts and was the home of the English Administration in Ireland for 700 years until the Great Hall was burnt down in the fire of April 1684. Only by blowing up nearby buildings were the flames stopped from reaching the gunpowder stored in the Powder Tower, unfortunately much of the medieval castle was destroyed.
The castle was one of the main targets in the Easter Rising of 1916 which concluded in December 1921 with the signing of the Anglo-Irish treaty when Ireland became a free state and Dublin Castle was handed over to the Irish Government.
The castle was re-built and added to in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries, it is now predominantly Georgian which includes the State apartments renovated in 1746 and are today used to host functions for European Union delegates.
The Arts
The castle has been used for films such as Becoming Jane and The Medallion as well as for the television series The Tudors.