St Stephen's Day

26 DECEMBER 2023

Trim Castle is the largest, best-preserved & most impressive Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland.

For strategic reasons, de Lacy decided to make Trim, rather than Drogheda, the centre of his newly acquired lordship. De Lacy converted a ringfort into a wooden castle with a spiked stockade. This structure was seen as a threat by the Gaelic Irish and in 1174 Rory O’Connor, King of Connacht (and last High King of Ireland), attacked and it was destroyed. The following year work began on a more permanent stone replacement and over the following decades Hugh de Lacy (d. 1186) and his son Walter constructed the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. Initially a stone keep, or tower, replaced the wooden fortification. The keep was remodeled and then surrounded by curtain walls and a moat. The wall, punctuated by several towers and a gatehouse, fortified an area of about 3 acres. Most of the castle visible today was completed by 1220.

Trim Castle passed from the de Lacy family to Geoffrey de Geneville, an important French knight and crusader who had become a loyal supporter of Henry III of England and his son Edward I. Geoffrey built the great hall beside the keep and founded the Dominican Blackfriary in the north of the town. From the de Geneville family it passed to the Mortimers (including the imfamous Roger Mortimer who helped his lover Queen Isabella depose her husband Edward II). From the Mortimers it then passed to being a possession of the Duke of York until the War of the Roses, when it was finally seized as a royal property.

The unique twenty-sided cruciform design of the keep (with walls 3m thick) is an example of the experimental military architecture of the period. It served as both the domestic and administrative centre of the castle. By 1500 much of Ireland was back in the hands of Gaelic Chieftains and the territory under English control had been reduced to an area around Dublin, known as ‘The Pale’. By this time Trim Castle was in decline; however, it remained an important outpost protecting the north- western frontier of The Pale.

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St STEPHEN’S DAY 2023

This Christmas I spent three days in Trim County Meath and it rained most of the time. On Wednesday the 27th it was so wet and stormy that it was impossible to take any photographs so I returned to Dublin ahead of schedule. As my Canon 5DIII performs very well in wet weather I decided to bring it with me instead of me rather than my Sony A7RIV or FX30. Another advantage it is fitted with a GPS unit.

Founded by the renowned Bishop Simon de Rochfort in 1202, the Priory was initially home to the Order of the Crutched Friars, a group of pious men dedicated to ministering to the sick and the poor. Over the centuries, the Priory evolved into a hub of spiritual and social activity, providing solace and support to the community.

The Priory’s architecture bears witness to its diverse history. The imposing three-story tower, dating back to the 15th century, hints at its role as a defensive structure. The graceful nave and chancel of the church, with their striking three-light window, speak to the Priory’s sacred purpose.

In 1540, the Priory’s fortunes took a dramatic turn during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, a series of events that scattered monastic communities across Ireland. The Priory’s buildings were commandeered for various purposes, including a residence and a hospital.

Despite its turbulent past, the Priory of St. John the Baptist remains a captivating sight. Today, its ruins stand as a testament to the enduring spirit of Trim and its enduring connection to Ireland’s rich history.