History

Dublin Castle is one of the most important buildings in Irish history.

From 1204 until 1922 it was the seat of English, and later British rule in Ireland. During that time, it served principally as a residence for the British monarch's Irish representative, the Viceroy of Ireland, and as a ceremonial and administrative centre. The Castle was originally developed as a medieval fortress under the orders of King John of England. It had four corner towers linked by high curtain walls and was built around a large central enclosure. Constructed on elevated ground once occupied by an earlier Viking settlement, the old Castle stood approximately on the site of the present Upper Castle Yard. It remained largely intact until April 1584, when a major fire caused severe damage to much of the building. Despite the extent of the fire, parts of the medieval and Viking structures survived and can still be explored by visitors today.

On 16 January 1922, the last Viceroy of Ireland handed Dublin Castle to Michael Collins and the newly independent Irish state. This marked the end of British presence in Ireland following the Easter Rising of 1916 and the Irish War of Independence. Since then, Dublin Castle has been used for important national events, including the inauguration of Ireland's presidents in St Patrick's Hall.

Over the centuries, Dublin Castle has welcomed many notable figures, including Benjamin Franklin (1771), the Duke of Wellington (1807), Daniel O'Connell (1841), Queen Victoria (1849, 1853, 1861 & 1900), Charles Dickens (1864), Countess Markievicz (1905), Princess Grace of Monaco (1961), John F. Kennedy (1963), Charles de Gaulle (1969), Nelson Mandela (1990), and Queen Elizabeth II (2011). Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, worked at the castle from 1866 to 1878. The castle now welcomes over a quarter of a million visitors each year.