Although I'll probably always struggle to remember the year of anything other than the 1916 Rising or The Irish Famine (1845-1852), history is one of my favourite topics so a trip to Dublin Castle was always going to be enjoyable. As with any place with such a rich and long history (the first to reside here were Danish Vikings in the 930s) it's as if you can feel the history and sense the footsteps of all those that have walked the cobblestones before you.
First stop on the tour is the Medieval Undercroft where a mix of sulphur and chlorine greets you before you descend the steps below to where the city walls meet the castle and the River Poddle flows (thought to be the source of the black plague by the Dubliners of the time).
For me, the real treats of the tour are the Chapel Royal and the State Apartments. The knowledge that you are treading the same halls and climbing the same steps as those who have shaped so much of our world brings to life the connection between ourselves and the past. While moving across the courtyard a pair of echoing footsteps could perhaps be those of Bram Stoker, who toiled away here, unhappily, as a clerk before Dracula was born.
The Chapel Royal is a beautiful history book, filled with the coats of arms of the Justiciars, Lord Deputies and Lord Lieutenants who served in Ireland, dating from 1172 to 1922. The imposing church organ is so old that it's broken parts will likely never be replaced. The timber frame of the Gothic church has been working hard since 1815. The columns and vaulting inside are actually timber finished with a paint wash giving them the effect of stone.
The State Apartments are up next and this is where the history really kicks up a notch. Every Irish President has been inaugurated in St. Patrick's Hall and Dublin Castle, the centre of colonial power on the island, was handed over to Michael Collins in 1922 as he became the first leader of the newborn Irish Free State. The Battleaxe Landing contains an imposing double staircase and, for a moment, an Irish harp replaces the constant symbols of the British Empire.
An unexpected treat, especially in these centenary times, was The James Connolly Room, one of the most important in Dublin Castle. The room is dedicated to the 1916 commander who was treated in this part of the castle, when it was the Red Cross Military Hospital, for an ankle that turned gangrene after being shattered by a bullet during the Rising. It was here that Connolly was court martialled, whilst lying in bed, and it was from here he was taken by British soldiers to meet his end by firing squad. Connolly, due to his injuries, was tied to a chair for his execution.
"Hasn't it been a full life, Lillie, and isn't this a good end", James Connolly to his wife Lillie, the night before his execution.
Moving along the State Corridor you can imagine Queen Victoria gliding through doorways with a flock of maids in her wake, such is her presence in rooms like The Throne Room, which she herself regarded as much too masculine, and The Drawing Room, where portraits of a young Victoria and Prince Albert hang.
The Drawing Room is everything you might expect a royal drawing room to be; ostentatious and full of every shade of gold and pink you could find. Unfortunately, the room was almost entirely destroyed by a fire in 1941, however the mirrors, pier glasses and console tables were salvaged and the room was faithfully restored by the Office of Public Works. This room was integral during the most important period of Dublin's social calendar, a six week period dubbed 'the season' that consisted of balls, dinners and celebrations that culminated in the Grand Ball on St Patrick's Day, March 17th. In this room hangs the portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, as well as one of Anthony van Dyck's last paintings, a portrait of the Countess of Southampton.
The Throne Room is interesting in that it's what I imagine Donald Trump's oval office to look like; garish, full of gold leaf and with a central throne surrounded by mirrors. This Throne however was built for King George IV's visit in 1821. Here, visiting Monarch would receive local subjects, Viceroys were inaugurated and debutantes were presented, all in this room. An interesting aspect of the room is the brass chandelier containing interwoven symbols of Ireland (the shamrock), Scotland (the thistle) and England (the rose), made to commemorate the 1801 Act of Union.
St Patrick's Hall is the one of the oldest and most historic rooms in Dublin Castle, and its interior is considered one of the most important decorative interiors. Once the ballroom of the Viceregal court, its appearance now is the result of over 250 years worth of changes and restoration. Today, St Patrick's Hall is perhaps the most important ceremonial room in Ireland. It is used for state banquets with visiting dignitaries and every seven years the inauguration of Ireland's President occurs in this room, which so happens to be decorated in the President's colours, blue (St Patrick's blue, to be exact) and gold.
The room also houses the most important ceiling in Ireland, a series by Vincenzo Valdrè painted in the 1790s. The middle panel depicts the moment King George III founded the Illustrious Order of St Patrick in 1783, with the King seated between the symbolic figures of Great Britain with her flag and Ireland with her harp, and Justice and Liberty also present.
Hanging from the walls on either side of St. Patricks Hall are the family crests of the knights of St Patrick. In the picture to the left you can see the flag of the first knight of St Patrick, which is over 200 years old, hanging furthest from view. The stall plates accompany the flags to chronologically record the names of the knights.
I always feel there's a quiet comfortability that comes with a visit to a stately building such as this, perhaps afforded by the thought that its occupants were largely unaffected by the social turmoil or poverty experienced by 'peasants' that dwelled outside those fortified walls. This wasn't always the case of course, some of those who passed through this great castle met unfortunate ends, however a montage of smiling faces and extravagant ballgowns gliding across the dance floor brings more solace.
As the tour ended and the group petered out I thought about how strange it would be to call a place like this home. Imagine sleeping here for even one night, padding down the halls in your socks with a cup of tea in one hand and a book to read by the fire in another. The lives we lead today would be unimaginable to those Knights and Monarchs that roamed the halls of Dublin Castle, however the reverse is just as true. To live like a king or queen in today's world seems preposterous, albeit a reality in some cases. Still, to sit reading by a fire with a gilded chandelier hanging nearby and hear the pitter patter and whispers of the ghosts of history would truly be an ethereal gift.
* Some info sourced from - a guided tour of Dublin Castle and the Dublin Castle website itself.
* All photos by me.
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