Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle

The heart of power in Ireland

In the centre of Ireland's capital city stands Dublin Castle, a place that has been at the heart of the country's story for more than eight hundred years. For most of that time it was the seat of English and then British rule in Ireland — the very centre of government. Today, that history has come full circle: the castle now belongs to the Irish people and is used by the Irish state for great national occasions.

A castle built on King John's orders

Dublin Castle was founded in 1204 on the orders of King John of England, to defend the city, store the king's treasure, and serve as the centre of royal government in Ireland. Built where an earlier Viking settlement had stood, it had strong walls and round towers, with a dark pool of water nearby — the "Dubh Linn" that gave Dublin its name.

For centuries the castle was rebuilt and added to. A great fire in 1684 destroyed much of the medieval building, and afterwards it was rebuilt in the elegant Georgian style of grand courtyards and fine state rooms that we largely see today. Only one medieval tower, the Record Tower, still survives from the original fortress.

The seat of government

Through the centuries Dublin Castle was the place from which Ireland was governed in the name of the English and British crown. The king's representative, the Lord Lieutenant or Viceroy, lived and held court here in splendid state rooms, and the castle was the centre of official power, ceremony and, at times, the harsh enforcement of unpopular rule.

Because of this, the castle was both admired for its grandeur and resented as a symbol of foreign control — a complicated place in the story of Ireland.

A turning point in 1922

The castle's role changed completely in 1922. After Ireland's long struggle for independence, the British handed Dublin Castle over to the new Irish government, led by Michael Collins. The handover of this great symbol of British rule marked the birth of an independent Irish state — a deeply emotional moment in the nation's history.

Since then, Dublin Castle has belonged to the Irish people and is used for the most important state occasions.

A place of ceremony

Today Dublin Castle hosts presidential inaugurations, state visits by foreign leaders, important conferences and national commemorations. Its grand State Apartments, with their richly decorated rooms, and its beautiful Chapel Royal are open to visitors, along with parts of the medieval castle revealed beneath the courtyard.

Visiting today

Visitors can tour the lavish State Apartments, see the medieval Record Tower and the excavated remains of the original Viking and Norman defences, and visit the ornate Chapel Royal. Displays tell the long and dramatic story of the castle, from King John to Irish independence. Grand, historic and full of meaning, Dublin Castle is one of the most important places to understand the whole sweep of Ireland's history.