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Dunsany Castle (Caisleán Dhun Samhna in Irish), Dunsany, County Meath, Ireland is a modernised Norman castle, started c. 1180 / 1181 by Hugh de Lacy, who also commissioned Killeen Castle, nearby, and the famous Trim Castle. It is possibly Ireland's oldest home in continuous occupation, having been held by the Cusack family, and their descendents by marriage, the Plunketts, to the present day. The castle is surrounded by its demesne, the inner part of the formerly extensive Dunsany estate; the demesne holds an historic church, a walled garden and other features. Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Navan Code: MH Area: 2,342 km² Population (2006) 162,831 Website: www. ...
The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the nave is a forerunner of the Gothic style. ...
crest of de Lacy Lacy´s purple lion De Lacy (Lascy, Lacie) is an old Norman noble family originating from Lassy (Calvados). ...
Trim Castle (Dublin Side) Trim Castle (Caisleán Bhaile Atha Troim in Irish), Trim, County Meath, Ireland, on the shores of the Boyne has an area of 30,000 m². It is the remains of the largest Norman castle in Europe, and Irelands largest castle. ...
The Barony of Dunsany was created by writ of summons in the Peerage of Ireland in 1439. ...
Location Dunsany Castle and demesne, and other remnants of the family estates, are situated in and near the townland of Dunsany, between the historic town of Trim and Dunshaughlin. Dunsany is a hamlet, with post office store, church and primary school, and the next village is Kilmessan. The former Dower House is located just beyond the hamlet. The demesne can be reached from the N3 road and from Trim. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference N965526 Statistics Province: Leinster County: Population (2006) 3,384 Dunshaughlin (Irish: ) [1] is a town in County Meath in Ireland. ...
The N3 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, running between Dublin, Cavan Town and the border with County Fermanagh. ...
History The castle was built, probably in succession to basic "motte" fortifications, remnants of which can still be seen, in the period 1180 - 1200, construction thought to have begun in 1180 / 1181. Foundations and the lower parts of the four main towers are thought to be original, and some interior spaces, but much additional work has been carried out, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the current castle is more than three times the size of the original.
The castle, along with Killeen Castle, was held by the Cusacks, initially on behalf of the deLacys, and passed by marriage in the early 1400's to the Plunketts. Originally, it and Killeen lay on a single estate but the first generation of Plunketts gave Killeen to the eldest son, and Dunsany to the younger, Christopher, following which the estate was divided.
The Dunsany Estate was reduced by the operation of the Land Acts in the late 19th and early 20th century but the castle is still surrounded by its original demesne, and other estate lands do remain around the district.
Since the 1990's, work has been carried out, with some attendent publicity, to restore some of the Dunsany properties in the area.
Structure The Castle is entered through a projecting porch and a lobby with a worked ceiling, which opens into the central hallway, featuring the principal stairway and a vaulted ceiling, and into a secondary hall. The ground floor holds the dining room, with portraits of past family members, and a billiards room, as well as kitchen spaces, ancient and modern, and other rooms. On the first floor are the library and drawing-room, which has Stapleton plasterwork from 1780. The library, which may have been worked on by James Shiel, is in the "Gothic Revival" style, with a "beehive" ceiling. Also on this floor is a secondary stairway (where a "priest's hole" formerly existed). The third floor holds ornate bedrooms.
Demesne The main entrance to the grounds today has the appearance of a Gothic ruin but is a "sham", concealing a residential gatehouse, and with a solid black metal gate. Just behind this is the former Steward's House, a curious sunken structure, and just beyond on the road is an access road for the demesne farm.
The former main gateway, leading to a long avenue which abruptly reveals the castle to arrivals, has a tower house and high white gates. A third gateway, at Dunsany Bridge, over the River Skane, had a curious black-stone lodge, which was vandalised in the 1980's.
Facing the current main entrance is an early pilgrim cross.
The Church of St. Nicholas (of Myra), known locally as "the Abbey", was built in the 1440's, on the site of an earlier church (standing in 1305). It is now a National Monument, with remnants of lofts and living quarters, and inside and around are tombs of family members and local residents. While it fell out of use and a new church was built at Dunsany Crossroads, it is still consecrated and a wedding Mass was celebrated there in the early 2000's, with the Bishop of Meath.
The lands comprise a mix of farmland, marsh and woodland. At the back of the demesne, alongside the old Dublin-Navan railway line, is the River Skane, a tributary of the River Boyne. Boyne-Valley from Passage tomb The River Boyne (Irish: ) is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about 112 kilometres (70 miles) long. ...
Also within the parklands are farm and stable yards, a working walled garden, an ice-house and wells.
The demesne is surrounded by a drystone wall, much of which was built during the Great Famine as a relief work.
Access The castle can be visited on a certain number of days each year, for a fee.
Points of Note The castle and demesne have been used for filming on occasions.
External links | Historic Irish Houses and Castles | Áras an Uachtaráin · Allenstown House · Ardbraccan House · Ardgillan Castle · Ashford Castle · Ashtown Castle · Avondale House · Ballymore Castle · Bantry House · Barberstown Castle · Birr Castle · Black Castle · Blarney Castle · Bourchier's Castle · Bunratty Castle · Cahir Castle · Carrickmines Castle · Carton House · Castleknock Castle · Castle Durrow · Castletown House · Chichester House · Clonalis House · Clontarf Castle · Dardistown Castle · Darver Castle · Deerfield · Desmond Castle · Donegal Castle · Doonagore Castle · Drimnagh Castle · Dromoland Castle · Dublin Castle · Dunboy Castle · Dunguaire Castle · Dunsany Castle · Durhamstown Castle · Emo Court · Farmleigh · Frescati House · Foulksrath Castle · Grianan of Aileach · Howth Castle · Iveagh House · Kilkea Castle · Kilkenny Castle · King John's Castle · Kinnitty Castle · Knappogue Castle · Leap Castle · Leinster House · Lismore Castle · Loftus Hall · Malahide Castle · Maynooth Castle · Mansion House · Middleton Park House · Mornington House · Muckross House · O'Dea Castle · Ormonde Castle · Parkavonear Castle · Powerscourt House · Rathfarnham Castle · Redwood Castle · Rock of Cashel · Rock of Dunamase · Ross Castle · Russborough House · Slane Castle · Swords Castle · Trim Castle · Tyrone House Ãras an Uachtaráin (formerly the Viceregal Lodge) is the official residence of the President of Ireland, located in the Phoenix Park on the Northside of Dublin1. ...
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