Killeen Castle, County Meath
| Killeen Castle | ||
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 The ruined fire of Killeen Castle |
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| Alternative name (s): | Caisleán to Chillín | |
| Creation time : | around 1180 | |
| Castle type : | Niederungsburg (Tower House) | |
| Conservation status: | Fire ruin | |
| Standing position : | Irish nobility | |
| Construction: | Ashlar | |
| Place: | Dunsany | |
| Geographical location | 53 ° 32 '7.5 " N , 6 ° 35' 38.6" W | |
| Height: | 93 m ASLTemplate: height / unknown reference | |
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Killeen Castle ( Irish Caisleán an Chillín ) is the ruin of a tower house in Dunsany in County Meath, Ireland . A castle has stood here since around 1180 . The current building was mostly built in the 19th century, later restored and burned down in 1981.
Killeen Castle was built as one of two castles on either side of a major road to the north; the other was the existing Dunsany Castle . On the estate lived continuously from 1172 to 1951, the Cusack and then the in-laws Plunkett .
history
The cusacks
The original building on the site of what is now Killeen Castle is believed to have been a Norman fortress, perhaps made of wood, built for the De Lacy magnates and inhabited by the Cusacks since 1172, starting with Geoffrey de Cusack . He had a stone castle built around 1181. This year is stamped above the entrance. Killeen Castle was the seat of the Cusacks for over 250 years, from Geoffrey de Cusack (1172) to Lady Joan de Cusack (1441), who together with her husband Sir Christopher Plunkett “was responsible for building the church next to the castle. "
This chapel is now a National Monument .
An early description of the castle and its interior reads:
“Today's date is August 1st (The Feast of St. Peter in Chains). As we approached, we were faced with four tall, crenellated towers with five stories of loopholes connecting the curtain wall of the building. The castle sits on a light mound . We enter via a steep, wooden staircase and, after having walked through the considerably thick wall in a narrow passage, we find ourselves in the knight's hall on the first floor. Rushes cover the stone tiles and next to the usual furniture, such as the trestle table, benches and the oak carved armchair of the landlord with a straight back, we notice a heavy, green and white striped curtain on our left, which covers one wall of the room. Opposite us is the open fireplace with a sloping stone roof in which logs burn on a grate. On the right wall hang the Lord's armor of war, his morion , hunting trophies and a spring-loaded bait as used in falconry . It's an expensive piece with a rod and gilded edges. ""
The Cusacks, Lords of Killeen, lived in such an environment, fought wars, and expanded their territory for 225 years until the castle fell to the Plunketts in 1399 through the marriage of Lady Joan de Cusack to Christopher Plunkett from Rathregan .
The plunketts
The first Plunkett to live at the castle, Sir Christopher, became 1st Baron Killeen and then divided the estate between his older two sons, with the second son having Dunsany Castle and later 1st Lord Dunsany . The descendants of the eldest son continued to be Barons of Killeen and later Earls of Fingall . The third eldest son, Sir Thomas Fitz-Christopher Plunkett , married the heiress Mary Ann Cruice of Rathmore , daughter of Sir Christopher Cruice of Cruicetown , Maydorrah and Rathmore Castle . A crucifix was erected in their honor on the property. The fourth and sixth sons had other castles built: Dunsoghly Castle , one of the few undamaged castles from the 15th century in Ireland, had the family of the fourth son, Sir Robert Plunkett , built between 1450 and 1460. Another title of the British nobility, Baron Fingall, was bestowed on the family in 1831. The titles are preserved to this day, the Killeens were the most important family of the Catholic, Irish aristocracy.
The castle developed over time and by the 15th century it was a medium-sized fortified tower house.
The two branches of the original Plunkett family remained closely linked through the centuries and even through the worst penal laws . The Dunsany branch, having survived shipping to Connacht and Cromwell and other troubles, converted to the Church of Ireland and trusted Killeen Castle for the older branch, which remained Roman Catholic . Unlike other arrangements of this type, Killeen Castle was formally returned when the legal situation changed.
At the end of the 17th century the castle fell into disrepair, was leased and not restored until around 1779 when parts of the property became landscaped and some buildings were added to the property.
Major renovations were carried out between 1803 and 1813 under the supervision of Francis Johnston , and in 1841 most of the castle was demolished and rebuilt (from the existing building materials) on behalf of the 9th Earl in the style of a small Windsor Castle . The two towers added are dated 1181 and 1841, and when the new Killeen Castle was completed it had 365 windows.
After the plunketts
The last Earl of Fingall sold Killeen Castle and the remaining estate to Sir Victor Sassoon in 1951 . The earl continued to live near the castle as the horse breeding manager. In 1953 the Earl and his wife moved into a modern house that had been built on the castle estate and most of the castle's contents were sold. Sassoon died in 1961 and his heirs sold the property in 1963 to the French art dealer and racing team owner Daniel Wildenstein .
The last earl moved from the Killeen estate to Corballis on the Dunsany Castle estate (then "The Commons"). He died in 1984 and is buried in Dunsany Church.
In 1978 the castle and estate were sold to the advertising specialist Basil Brindley , who continued the horse breeding. On May 16, 1981, the castle was set on fire by an arsonist and burned down completely. After that, it remained uninhabited for many years. The lands and other buildings were resold in 1989.
New development
In 1989 a new development plan was proposed and later revised again. This included a number of changes requiring approval, e. B. the conversion of the castle into a luxury hotel, the construction of a golf course according to competition standards and the construction of more than 100 luxury houses on the property. With a few changes, the plan was approved after discussion, on the condition that parts of the landscaped garden and other facilities on the estate, such as a holy well, would be protected. Work started in 2005.
In August 2006 it was announced that Killeen Castle would be reopened in 2009 as a luxury golf and relaxation hotel with 179 rooms by the Starwood Group . But Starwood withdrew from the project in early 2009 after the planned facilities were downsized by developer Snowbury due to the decline in tourism.
golf
On December 14, 2006, Killeen Castle was selected to host the 2011 Solheim Cup after applying for over a year . It was the first time Ireland had hosted this competition even if the golf course wasn't ready. The 18-hole competitive golf course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 2008. The revived Ladies Irish Open and the Ladies European Tour took place there in August 2010 and 2011.
The Dave Pelz Scoring Game School opened on the Killeen Castle estate in June 2008 with a focus on the game 100 yards from the hole.
Facilities on the estate
The estate contains the castle itself, a large stable yard, a chapel (sometimes incorrectly called "Killeen Abbey"), a sacred spring ("Lady Well"), a pond, an enclosed garden and other facilities.
The chapel, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, was built around 1425 in Gothic style and is surrounded by a cemetery. It is considered a national monument .
In the movie
In 1966, scenes for the film Casino Royale were shot in the castle under the direction of John Huston . In the film the castle was called "Castle McTarry".
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Mary Rose Carty: History of Killeen Castle, County Meath, Ireland . Carty / Lynch, Dunsany 1991. ISBN 0-9517382-0-8 .
- ↑ E. Hickey: Skryne and the Early Norman . 1994, p. 93.
- ^ A b Fr. P. Cusack: The Cusacks of Killeen, Co. Meath . O.Cist., 1981.
- ↑ Dr Beryl FE Moore, p. 27.
- ↑ Annals of St Mary's . CSMii. P. 275.
- ↑ Starwood lines up third Irish hotel . Breaking travel news. August 2, 2006. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
- ↑ Starwood pulls out of the Killeen hotel project . Meath Chronicle. May 6, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- ↑ Ireland beats off challengers to capture 2011 Solheim Cup . Irish Independent. December 15, 2006. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- ↑ Killeen Castle to Host the 2010 AIB Ladies Irish Open supported by Failte Ireland on August 6-8, 2010 . Ladies European Tour. Retrieved on November 19, 2010. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )
- ↑ Dave Pelz Instruction at Killeen Castle . Dave Pelz Golf Schools. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
