My wife's ancestors - Sidney - Contents

Dublin Castle

References:
- Dublin Castle, leaflet by J.B.Maguire, Office of Public Works.

Sir Henry Sidney riding out of Dublin Castle.
From The Image of Ireland (1581).

Dublin Castle.
The seat of British rule in Ireland for centuries.
Ordered built by King John in 1204.
Re-built by the Lord Deputy of Ireland Sir Henry Sidney 1565-78. He would have lived there.

The Record Tower.
Medieval tower surviving (with modifications) at Dublin Castle.
View from N (the Lower Yard).
This was originally the extreme SE corner tower of the castle.
Photo 2007. See full size.

The Record Tower.
View from N (the Lower Yard).
Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.

Impression of Dublin Castle as it would have looked c.1475.
On display at Dublin Castle. Photo 2007. See full size.
The view is from the N.
Dublin Castle was in the SE corner of the old town. Beyond the castle to the S (back) is outside the town walls.
On RHS back (to the SW) is St.Patrick's Cathedral.

Back LHS - SE corner tower - the Record Tower (or Gunners Tower, or Wardrobe Tower) - survives with modifications.
Back RHS - SW corner tower - the Bermingham Tower (or Kitchen Tower) - survives heavily re-built.
Front LHS - NE corner tower - the Powder Tower (or Storehouse Tower) - some survives under buildings.
Front centre - Front gate (N side) - gone (roughly where Bedford Tower is now).
Front RHS - NW corner tower - the Cork Tower - some survives under buildings.

Dublin Castle in Charles Brooking's map of Dublin of 1728.
On display at Dublin Castle. Photo 2007. See full size.
View from N.
Record Tower in back LHS.
Bermingham Tower (back RHS) to be re-built.
N gate (front centre) still exists.

Dublin Castle, 1905.
View from S (gardens) showing the Record Tower.
From Chapters of Dublin History. Used with permission.

Dublin Castle.
View from S (gardens) showing the Record Tower.
Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.

The re-built Bermingham Tower (SW corner).
View from SW. See full size.
Original base survives. Top is 18th cent.
Photo from pictures-of-castles.co.uk by Marijn Kampf. See terms of use.

The Powder Tower

The Powder Tower stood on the NE corner, and some of it survives underneath the 18th cent buildings.

The base of the Powder Tower. View from NW.
In back is E Dublin city boundary wall.
Photo 2007. Light adjusted digitally. See full size and original.

Artist's impression of Powder Tower. View from NW.
In back is E Dublin city boundary wall.
Note outside stairs down to river landing (the River Poddle formed the castle's moat).
On display at Dublin Castle. Photo 2007. See full picture.

Outside stairs down to the river landing. Beside the Powder Tower. View from N.
Photo 2007. Light adjusted digitally. See full size and original.

Location of stairs. Views from N.
On display at Dublin Castle. Photo 2007. See full picture.

The Powder Tower from the N, showing the stairs.
Detail from artist's impression above.

Dublin Castle on maps

Dublin Castle and Dame Gate on a Model of Dublin around 1500.
Christ Church Cathedral on RHS.
See full size.

Dublin Castle and Dame Gate (background) on a Model of Dublin around 1500.
In the foreground is the Priory of All Hallows, whose lands later became Trinity College.
See full size.

Dublin Castle. View from S.
Detail of Speed's map of Dublin, 1610.