The current structure is the second castle to be on this site along the Boyne river; the original castle was a wooden motte-and-bailey structure that was built in 1171 by one Hugh de Lacy, at the behest of Henry II, to check the growing power of Richard de Clare to the south. Incidentally, Richard de Clare is better known to cider drinkers today as “Strongbow,” though that appears to be due to a mistranslation. Unfortunately for Hugh, the Irish seem to have sensed the possibility that having the English march around Ireland like they owned the place and building castles wherever they fancied might not be in the best interests of the Irish. The garrison fled before a large Irish army, the wooden castle was burned to the ground and the motte leveled. Though the Normans regrouped their armies, marched north, and got their revenge, Hugh realized that a stone castle was called for.
Besides, given how rich the surrounding lands were, Hugh could afford to live in style.
Though Hugh was murdered by a vengeful Irishman before his castle was completed, his son Walter continued the job. In 1223, Hugh and William de Lacy, Walter’s brothers, rebelled against him and the crown. Walter was forced to besiege his own castle for seven weeks to get it back. By the time Walter died in 1241, the castle had largely assumed its present shape, though modifications and additions were made well into the 14th century. The castle was against briefly besieged during the 17th century, during the English Civil War, promptly falling to the Parliamentarians.
The castle features a substantial central keep, originally twenty sided, standing 25 metres high (82 feet). The curtain walls were built later than the keep (around 1250) are over 500 metres long (1,640 feet) and enclose three acres of land, with eight towers defending them. One side of the castle would have historically been on the River Boyne itself. In addition to the keep and the towers, there remains the foundations of a great hall and a Royal Mint that produced coins well into the 1500s. After having been slighted by the Parliamentarians, it fell into ruin, and was eventually purchased by the Irish government to turn it into a historical site.
Getting there:
It’s about an hour and fifteen minutes from Dublin by bus (route 111), or about 45 minutes by car.
All of these images were taken by me in May 2016. History and descriptions are sourced in Castles of Britain and Ireland by Rodney Castleden and the Trim Castle Guidebook.
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MRCHalifax says
History and Description
The current structure is the second castle to be on this site along the Boyne river; the original castle was a wooden motte-and-bailey structure that was built in 1171 by one Hugh de Lacy, at the behest of Henry II, to check the growing power of Richard de Clare to the south. Incidentally, Richard de Clare is better known to cider drinkers today as “Strongbow,” though that appears to be due to a mistranslation. Unfortunately for Hugh, the Irish seem to have sensed the possibility that having the English march around Ireland like they owned the place and building castles wherever they fancied might not be in the best interests of the Irish. The garrison fled before a large Irish army, the wooden castle was burned to the ground and the motte leveled. Though the Normans regrouped their armies, marched north, and got their revenge, Hugh realized that a stone castle was called for.
Besides, given how rich the surrounding lands were, Hugh could afford to live in style.
Though Hugh was murdered by a vengeful Irishman before his castle was completed, his son Walter continued the job. In 1223, Hugh and William de Lacy, Walter’s brothers, rebelled against him and the crown. Walter was forced to besiege his own castle for seven weeks to get it back. By the time Walter died in 1241, the castle had largely assumed its present shape, though modifications and additions were made well into the 14th century. The castle was against briefly besieged during the 17th century, during the English Civil War, promptly falling to the Parliamentarians.
The castle features a substantial central keep, originally twenty sided, standing 25 metres high (82 feet). The curtain walls were built later than the keep (around 1250) are over 500 metres long (1,640 feet) and enclose three acres of land, with eight towers defending them. One side of the castle would have historically been on the River Boyne itself. In addition to the keep and the towers, there remains the foundations of a great hall and a Royal Mint that produced coins well into the 1500s. After having been slighted by the Parliamentarians, it fell into ruin, and was eventually purchased by the Irish government to turn it into a historical site.
Getting there:
It’s about an hour and fifteen minutes from Dublin by bus (route 111), or about 45 minutes by car.
Additional images:
View from the west side (Boyne side): https://i.imgur.com/wXpBrgu.jpg
The central keep from inside the walls: https://i.imgur.com/fReAKdo.jpg
View from across the Boyne: https://i.imgur.com/mH8ZR30.jpg
View from across the Boyne: https://i.imgur.com/1n1UV2J.jpg
View from atop the central keep, looking south towards the Dublin gate: https://i.imgur.com/on1CVMD.jpg
Looking northeast at the Trim (town) gate: https://i.imgur.com/1fg6P2c.jpg
Remains of Trim town gate on the north side of the Boyne: https://i.imgur.com/lb2trnd.jpg
Sources:
All of these images were taken by me in May 2016. History and descriptions are sourced in Castles of Britain and Ireland by Rodney Castleden and the Trim Castle Guidebook.
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tb923 says
I went to a wedding here in 2016. It was amazing.
roy_keans_temper says
Fun fact – Trim castle was used in the Braveheart film as a partial set for Falkirk.
The scene is where the English capture Wallace.