History of Trim Castle

Situated on the southern bank of the River Boyne, Trim Castle in Country Meath casts a medieval shadow over its urban surroundings. Encompassing 3 acres of land, Ireland's largest Norman fortress attests to the strength of the invaders' grip on the kingdom of Meath. Aptly described as Ireland's "King of castles", King John's Castle symbolizes the dramatic changes imposed by the Normans as they expanded their kingdom across the Irish Sea.




Brief History of Trim Castle
1172 - Hugh de Lacy, first Lord of Meath, begins ringwork
1173 - Rory O'Connor, King of Connaught, burns castle
1210 - After king's visit, castle known as King John's Castle
1224 - Masonry castle withstands seven week siege
1250s - Ceoffrey de Geneville acquires castle upon marrying Maud de Lacy
1301 - Roger Mortimer, first Earl of March, gains castle by right of marriage to Joan, the de Geneville heiress
1399 - Prince Hal, the future Henry V, and his brother, Humphrey, stay at castle
1460 - Royal mint established
15th and 16th centuries - Construction of mantlet, well, corner tower, wash-house with drain and cobbled floors, forebuilding extended.
1534 - Thomas Fitzgerald('Silken Thomas'), 10th Earl of Kildare, besieges castle
17th century - Addition of gun emplacements, lead-smelting hearths and blacksmith's forge
1647 - Catholic Conference forces storm castle
1650 - Parliamentarians seize castle
1970s and 1990s - Archaeological excavations identify ringwork



Trim's great cruciform keep was probably built in two separate phases, beginning in about 1200. The powerful structure could function as a self-sufficient unit in wartime and as a comfortable home in peacetime.