Castleknock Castle
| Castleknock Castle | ||
|---|---|---|
| Creation time : | 12th Century | |
| Castle type : | Niederungsburg | |
| Conservation status: | Burgstall | |
| Standing position : | Norman nobility | |
| Construction: | Quarry stone | |
| Place: | Castleknock | |
| Geographical location | 53 ° 22 '5.5 " N , 6 ° 21' 57.6" W | |
| Height: | 71 m ASLTemplate: height / unknown reference | |
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Castleknock Castle ( Irish Caisleán Cnucha ) is the ruin of a Norman castle on the property of today's Castleknock College boys' school in Castleknock , a suburb of Dublin in County Fingal, Ireland .
description
“The castle is in a dominant position, its two deep moats and the ruins of its massive walls show its former strength. The castle itself is thickly overgrown with ivy and the entire hill is covered with large and spreading trees. Today the whole thing is protected ground, surrounded by a strong fence. The solemn darkness of the place, its dark, winding paths and the deep calm that reigns all around make it a delightful solitude. "
A mound could have been in front of today's medieval building at this point. The polygonal keep was a remarkable detail of the castle. A large, squat building was attached to it. A curtain riddled with towers enclosed the castle. There is a moat around the castle. Today the area is surrounded by trees; the ruins are seldom seen from the road, especially in winter. The oldest drawing of Francis Place Castle shows it already in ruins, but a little less dilapidated than it is today.
There is also a small mound west of Castleknock College called Windmill Hill . Today there is a water tower there that a previous owner, Simon Quinn , had built as an observatory .
history
Druid stone building
There is evidence of the importance of the site prior to the castle's construction in Norman times. An old, pagan, druid stone building was found.
“In 1861 an old, druid stone building or altar was discovered inside the old castle when the grave of Reverend Thomas Plunket was opened. The workers came to a large, flat stone that was found too difficult to remove and immediately began to break it. After great difficulty, they succeeded but, to their surprise, found an empty space below with a human skeleton in it after removing part of it.
The skull and larger bones were almost perfectly preserved, along with small heaps of dry, whitish dust. The men, unable to gauge the significance of their discovery, placed the bones a little off and went on with their work. It wasn't until the tomb was replenished that the whole matter came to light, and by then it was too late to repair the damage.
According to the description given by various people present, there is no doubt that the tomb discovered was one of those old, druidic stone structures or altar tombs that were used in pagan times as a burial place for kings or nobles.
The skeleton in this case was so old that the intake of air caused some bones to crumble into dust; this explains the small piles of whitish dust that were found next to the larger bones. "
Cnucha
“In the year 726”, say the Four Masters , “Congelach of Cnucha died.” In the old translation of the Annals of Clonmacnoisc he is called “Konolach of Castleknock”. In the annals of Ulster you can read "Congalach Cnucho moritur" and in the annals of Tigernach "Congalach Cnuchaensis moritur". We know nothing about Congalach except that he died in his fort, Cnucha, around the beginning of the 8th century.
Origins of the castle: The Baron von Castleknock
The castle was founded by a Norman knight, Hugh Tyrrel . He was later made Baron von Castleknock. He chose this location at the end of the Os , which stretches from Galway to Dublin. The castle was built on two mounds of the Os and from here one could control the road to Dublin from the west.
Castleknock was the final rallying point for the forces of the last High King of Ireland, Rory O'Connor . He failed to drive the Cambro Normans out of the Dublin area in 1171.
“At that time the old fortress underwent many changes. Tyrrel reinforced his fortress with all the achievements of modern warfare and in a short time the Norman castle with its heavy battlements and its double moat was a grim challenge. You couldn't get to them with a battering ram and the projectiles that hit them fell to the ground without causing any damage, "like hailstones from a rounded shield."
Founding of the abbey by Richard Tyrrell
The Abbey of St. Brigid was founded by Richard Tyrrell, 2nd Baron of Castleknock , in 1184 where the Protestant church stands today. It prospered until the monasteries were suppressed, then it was demolished and a Protestant church built in its place. In ancient times Castleknock placed two canons at St. Patrick's Cathedral and even today two benefices from St. Patrick derive their titles from "Castrum Noc ex parte diaconi, et Castrum Noc ex parte praecentoris".
Capture of Robert the Bruce
The Bruces advanced on Dublin in 1316. Not long before that, Edward Bruce had been crowned King of Ireland at Dundalk , and thinking the time had come to kick the English out, he called on his brother Robert to help. The King of Scotland landed in Ireland with a select troop and, accompanied by his brother, marched with 20,000 men to the siege of Dublin. The first action on the way to town was the capture of Castleknock Castle. One could not expect that the old fortress, long considered impregnable, could long withstand the hero of Bannockburn . Robert the Bruce entered, captured Hugh Tyrrell , and established his headquarters there.
It was not believed that the liberation of Ireland was imminent. In the castle people celebrated and were happy. Irish and Scottish cland chefs met at the same table, plaids and bonnetts mingled with saffron clothing. But the joy soon turned to gloom. Bruce soon realized that Dublin was prepared for a siege and well supplied with supplies from the sea. Even more, the zeal of the citizens made him lose all hope. After spending a few days at the castle, he released Tyrrell on payment of a ransom and withdrew from the city. But he had scarcely started his march back when he seemed to regret his decision and stopped again in Leixlip . After a short while he began the march south again, and soon afterwards left Ireland; he left the continuation of the war to his brother.
Legend
About the castle there is the story of “The Lady of the Castle; CTR The Story of Eibhleen O'Brinn ”. It is told in the history of the Royal Hospital of Kilmainham in the form of a saga of considerable length and an unknown author in '' The Nation '' recalled the event in graceful verse.
In the early 16th century, Hugh Tyrrell , the last of the name, ruled Castleknock. In his absence, his brother Roger, through his cruelty and debauchery, made the old castle a horror for the neighborhood and a "fortress of injustice". One summer evening Roger abducted Eibhleen , the pretty daughter of O'Brinn, or O'Byrne , a Wicklow clan chief who lived on a hill west of the neighboring town of Chapelizod , and locked her in a tower of the castle. In the middle of the night the girl heard footsteps coming up the stone stairs to her room, feared the worst, cut her carotid artery with the needle of her brooch and bled to death. The event sparked great indignation towards Tyrrell. Turlogh O'Brinn had sought refuge on the borders from the horrors of war, hoping to see his family get through in peace under the protection of the Viceroy. At that time the site of today's Royal Hospital Kilmainham was in the Order of St. John is and one of St. John, who was familiar as the agent of the house with the family O'Brinn, gathered many supporters and marched to Castleknock. Tyrrell declared that he would not seek refuge behind his redoubts, but would meet his enemy in the open field. A bloody battle developed in the course of which Tyrrell fell. His tragic end was seen as a just punishment for his misdeeds, but the girl's death was long regretted by the people.
For a long time it was believed that around midnight a female figure in a white dress crept slowly around the castle. This, it was said, was Eibhleen and called her "The Lady of the Castle".
"When distant chimes sound midnight hour
The spirit pure is seen;
And moving round the lonely tower,
Looks bright as moonlight beam.
And as the moonbeams tint the walls,
And light the turret's crest,
" 'Twas hence ", she says," my spirit fled,
' Tis here my bones find rest.
And here I wander, year by year,
For such my lot has been,
But soon at end my penance drear,
I'll rest in joy unseen. ""
Her suicide was cloaked in ignorance, though it was utterly irresponsible, and, by wandering around the castle, she should perfect her innocence. The Lady of the Castle has not been seen since the Congregation of St Vincent settled in Castleknock. The priests, it was said, must have “calmed the mind”.
The onset of the English Civil War
Many bloody battles took place at Castleknock Castle; B. the one told about by an Irish officer in 1642. The document entitled Courageuse Resolution d'une dame Irlandaise à la prize de Château-knock (Eng .: "Courageous behavior of an Irish lady while taking Castleknock") was discovered in the Bibliothèque Imperiale in Paris .
It is only six pages long and appears to have been a letter written by an Irish officer to some friends in France immediately after the event. In its day it was found so interesting that it was immediately published and distributed across Paris. The document does not have a name, but dates from 1642. It bears the designation 8vo no. 955, A.A. the Bibliothèque Imperiale and starts like this:
“The Earl of Ormond, a Protestant, marched from the city of Dublin on the 28th of last month at the head of 4,000 foot soldiers and 500 mounted soldiers towards County Meath . The next day he and his army besieged Castleknock Castle, which belonged to the Lady de Lacy, the aunt of the Earl of Fingal. This lady's husband was in the army of the Catholics of Ireland.
He left his wife in the castle to keep her with only 50 husbands, knowing full well that her courage was very great for a woman, in which he was not mistaken; for this lady ensured with her orders that 400 soldiers of the besiegers fell during the four days of siege, and the number of deaths would have been even greater if the ammunition had not run out. When this lady noticed this, she left all of her clothes, money, jewelry, and all valuable items, in other words, anything of some value that could be found within the castle enclosure, in a heap. She then had it set on fire so that there was no more prey for the enemy. She also had all weapons that were there rendered useless by breaking them except those with which her soldiers were armed, and in the light of the fire she said to her soldiers thus:
«My loyal servants, you will probably recognize from the action that I have just had the hope of favor from our enemies and how little gentleness I expect in their hands. I also tell you that you should not expect a quarter from them, but remember the word that says: 'Do not let the vanquished hope for anything from their enemies!' Take your courage and fight to the death for the loyalty of your Savior ; You can never find a more glorious ending and, to find it sooner, go bravely to attack the enemy of the cross, lest any of you, if captured, by bad treatment or the cruelty of torture, make the right choice You have taken to die today for the Catholic faith, repent. In this I wish to give you an example by making progress. "
After this address, the besieged set fire to the castle and descended, sword in hand, with such determination that after the great carnage of their enemies, all who were left lay dead on the field of battle except the lady belonging to the Earl of Ormond was captured. Then the Earl sent to Dublin to ask for reinforcements and continued his march. "
This is how the interesting story ends.
General Monk
After the Wars of the Three Kingdoms , the castle was partially demolished as it had been severely damaged by artillery fire.
“When the English parliament declared war on King Charles, the Irish adhered to the Stuarts; the lords of Castleknock joined the national movement and planted the royal standard on their battlements. From that day on, her fate was sealed. General Monk marched from Dublin with a strong force and a siege, and settled in front of the castle (1642). Things were in the same state as they had been in the days of the first Tyrrells. The raised walls, the deeply cut windows, the rooms in them low and poorly lit and the heavy oak benches all around, more like war machines than luxury furnishings. But the garrison was too weak to defend. A heavy cannonade began and, when the walls were shaken to their foundations and 80 of the defenders had fallen, the signal was given to take the place in an assault. The garrison had fought bravely, but pity did not touch the hearts of the Republicans. The survivors were brought to court martial, found guilty of fighting the state, and hung on the walls they so valiantly defended. Monk left a strong force at the castle when he returned to Dublin, which, although badly damaged, was still a position of considerable importance. But their days were numbered. "
Owen Roe O'Neill
On his march on Dublin (1647) Owen Roe O'Neill found Castleknock Castle in the hands of the English and decided to drive them out. They tried to avert the blow. Colonel Trevor appeared at the head of a cavalry division, but it was soon destroyed and O'Neill began another siege. The fortress was soon abandoned.
today
“The green property within the old walls serves as the burial place for the priests of St. Vincent de Paul and many zealous missionaries who died in the prime of life are buried here. It was a serene thought. This stain, which was colored red by the blood of many heroes and which contains the remains of the "dead brave" in its bosom, is now a consecrated cemetery. Here rest, side by side, the soldier and the priest of Erin. One fought for the worldly interests of Ireland, the other for its spiritual well-being ... "
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j The Irish Eclestical Record . Bibliothèque Imperiale de Paris. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ↑ drawing . IOL.ie. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
literature
- Dónal MacPolin, Peter Sobolewski: Castleknock and the Park . Cottage Publications, Blanchardstown 2001. ISBN 1-900935-22-8 .
- James O'Driscoll: Cnucha: A history of Castleknock and district . Self-published, 1977.
- Jim Lacey: A Candle in the Window . Marino Publications, 1999. ISBN 978-1-85635-552-0 .
- Tadhg O'Keeffe: Medieval Irish Buildings . Four Courts Press, 2015. ISBN 978-1-84682-248-3 . Pp. 230-231.