Dundrum Castle

Dundrum Castle is a Norman castle, situated in the town of Dundrum, County Down, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1177 by John de Courcy, following his invasion of Ulster. The castle, built to control access into Lecale from the west and south, stands on the top of a rocky hill commanding fine views south over Dundrum Bay and the Mourne Mountains, the lands west towards Slieve Croob and the plains of Lecale to the east. Norman may refer to: the Normans, the Norman people. ... Dundrum is the name of several towns in Ireland: Dundrum in County Down, Northern Ireland Dundrum in Dublin city, Republic of Ireland Dundrum in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... County Down, (An Dún in Irish) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, covering an area of 2,448 km² (945 square miles). ... Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)3 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685... Events November 25 - Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Raynald of Chatillon defeat Saladin at the Battle of Montgisard. ... John de Courcy (1160? - 1219) was a colorful knight and Earl of Ulster, Ireland in the 12th Century. ... Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland. ... The granite Mountains of Mourne are located in the first proposed national park of Northern Ireland. ... Slieve Croob is the largest of a small group of peaks in the centre of County Down, north of the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. ...

Origins and ownership

De Courcy's original castle may have had defences of earth and timber, but it is probable that the stone curtain wall of the upper ward was built as early as the 1180s. As with other early enclosure walls, there were no towers, but defence was assisted by covered walks along the outside wall-head. An early timber hall may have been sited near the keep, where there is a double-latrine in the curtain wall. Events April 13 - Frederick Barbarossa issues the Gelnhausen Charter November 18 - France Emperor Antoku succeds Emperor Takakura as emperor of Japan Afonso I of Portugal is taken prisoner by Ferdinand II of Leon Artois is annexed by France Prince Mochihito amasses a large army and instigates the Genpei War between... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Lumber. ... 12th century keep (Rouen, France) A keep is a strong central tower which forms the heart of a castle. ...

In 1204 de Courcy was expelled from Ulster by Hugh de Lacy who strengthened the castle with a massive round keep, probably employing master masons from the Welsh Marches, where such keeps were then popular. Although much of the second floor of this keep was rebuilt in the fifteenth century, it is clear from the survival of the old fireplace flue and spiral stair that it originally stood at least three storeys high. The basement was used for storage and had a cistern below the first floor, which appears to have been the great chamber for the lord's day-to-day living, while the floor above would have housed his private chamber. // Events February - Byzantine emperor Alexius IV is overthrown in a revolution, and Alexius V is proclaimed emperor. ... Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland. ... In European history, marches are border regions between centres of power. ... A cistern (Middle English cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from cista, box, from Greek kistê, basket) is a receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. ...

The castle was captured by King John in 1210 and remained Crown property until de Lacy was allowed to return to his Earldom in 1226. It was probably during de Lacy's second tenure as Earl of Ulster (1227-43) that the twin-towered gatehouse, similar to the one at Pembroke Castle, was inserted in the curtain wall. It has a lopsided design with only one projecting tower to protect the approach along a narrow ramp from the south-west. King John is one of the so-called Shakespearean histories, plays written by William Shakespeare and based on the history of England. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Tsuchimikado, emperor of Japan Emperor Juntoku ascends to the throne of Japan Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor excommunicated by Pope Innocent III for invading southern Italy in 1210 Gottfried von Strassburg writes his epic poem Tristan about 1210 Beginning of Delhi Sultanate Births... An Earl as a member of the British peerage ranks below a Marquess and above a Viscount. ... Events Carmelite Order approved by Pope Honorius III Frederick II calls Imperial Diet of Cremona Births Deaths October 3 Saint Francis of Assisi founder of the Franciscan Order and patron Saint of animals and the environment Canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1228 November 8 King Louis VIII of France... The title of Earl of Ulster has been created several times in the Peerages of Ireland and the United Kingdom. ... Part of Pembroke Castle. ...

The stone curtain wall of the outer bailey is likely to have been built by the Maginnis family, who seized Dundrum in the late fourteenth century and held it intermittently until finally expelled by Lord Mountjoy in 1601. It was made over to Lord Cromwell in 1605 and sold to Sir Francis Blundell in 1636. The Maginnis family retrieved Dundrum in 1642, but later lost it to the Parliamentarians, who dismantled the castle in 1652 after they withdrew their garrison. Places In Canada: Bailey, New Brunswick Bailey Corners, Ontario Baileys Beach, Ontario Baileys Brook, Nova Scotia In the United States of America: Bailey, Colorado Bailey, Michigan Bailey, Mississippi Bailey, North Carolina Bailey, Texas Bailey County, Texas Bailey Island, Maine Bailey Lakes, Ohio Baileys Crossroads, Virginia Elsewhere: Bailey... Events February 8 - Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, rebels against Elizabeth I of England - revolt is quickly crushed February 25 - Robert Devereux beheaded Jesuit Matteo Ricci arrives in China Bad harvest in Russia due to rainy summer Dutch troops drive Portuguese from Málaga Battle of Kinsale, Ireland Births... Events April 13 - Tsar Boris Godunow dies - Feodor II accedes to the throne May 16 - Paul V becomes Pope June 1 - Russian troops in Moscow imprison Feodor II and his mother. ... Events February 24 - King Christian of Denmark gives an order that all beggars that are able to work must be sent to Brinholmen Island to build ships or as galley rowers March 26 - Utrecht University founded in The Netherlands. ... A parliamentarian is a specialist in parliamentary procedure. ... // Events April 6 - Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp for the Dutch East India Company at the Cape of Good Hope, and founded Cape Town. ...

After 1660 the Blundells returned and built a gabled L-shaped mansion in the south-west corner of the outer bailey. This dwelling was ruined by the time the property passed to the second Marquess of Downshire in the early nineteenth century, though the trees on the hill were probably planted at this time. The castle and grounds were placed in State Care by the seventh Marquess in 1954.

The castle is an important example of Norman architecture, and is a regular destination for tourists and school children.