Merrion Castle
| Merrion Castle | ||
|---|---|---|
| Creation time : | Early 14th century | |
| Castle type : | Niederungsburg | |
| Conservation status: | tore off | |
| Standing position : | Irish nobility | |
| Construction: | Quarry stone | |
| Place: | Mount Merrion | |
| Geographical location | 53 ° 18 '54.6 " N , 6 ° 12' 21" W | |
| Height: | 6 m ASLTemplate: height / unknown reference | |
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Merrion Castle ( Irish Caisleán Mhuirfean ) was a castle in today's Mount Merrion , a suburb of the Irish capital Dublin . It was built in the early 14th century and was used from the 16th to the 18th century, the family FitzWilliam (later Viscount FitzWilliam ) as a seat. After the Fitzwilliam in the Mount Merrion House had moved, fell the castle. It was demolished in 1780 and today there is no trace of it to be found. It was across from Merrion Gates , where St. Mary's Home and School for the Blind is now. This can be seen on historical maps.
Early history
A castle in Merrion is first mentioned in documents around the year 1334, when it was owned by Thomas Bagod , a descendant of Sir Robert Bagod . He had Baggotrath Castle built around 1280 . At the end of the 14th century, Merrion Castle belonged to Sir John Cruise , a leading diplomat and soldier. In the 15th century both castles came into the possession of the FitzWilliam family, who had become the most important landowners in Dublin; James FitzWilliam , the Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer , married the daughter of Sir John Cruise. Baggotrath Castle was the preferred seat of the FitzWilliams until the end of the 16th century. In the 1440s they fought a bitter battle with the Cornwalsh family for their possession. It was Thomas FitzWilliam , grandfather of the first Viscount, who made Merrion Castle the main family seat during Queen Elizabeth I's reign .
Civil War and Restoration
In the English Civil War , having such a strong fortress near Dublin was clearly beneficial to both parties to the conflict. The FitzWilliams, who were staunch royalists , garrisoned Merrion Castle, but in June 1642 the castle came to the side of the parliamentarians through treason and remained with them until the Stuart Restoration . The 2nd Viscount, Oliver FitzWilliam , later Earl of Tyrconnell , who had some influence on Henry Cromwell , advocated his return, but to no avail. After the family had traditionally been loyal to the House of Stuart , he may have expected the quick return in 1660, but the bitter quarrel in Ireland after the Restoration, as a result of which the Earl of Tyrconnell was accused by his enemies, supports Oliver Cromwell have caused delays in fully returning their lands; only in 1663 did he get Merrion Castle back.
Although Merrion Castle had suffered great damage during the military siege, it was still a great residence; 16 stoves were added to it for the stove tax, making it one of the largest private residences in Dublin. Lord Tyrconnell did not have much repaired at the castle in his last years and finally died in 1667. Merrion Castle remained the main family seat until 1710; then Richard FitzWilliam, 5th Viscount FitzWilliam , had the construction of Mount Merrion House begin.
The ruins of Merrion Castle
In the years after 1710 the castle was completely abandoned and quickly fell into disrepair. It appears to have been little more than a ruin by the late 1720s, and the newspapers reported that the property was infested with large and wild rodents called "Marmonts". The "Marmonts" were most likely brown rats that appeared in Ireland from 1722, a few years before they appeared in England.
Gabriel Beranger sketched the ruins around 1765. Austin Cooper mapped them in May 1780, but found the castle ruins already demolished on a second visit. The Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837 states that ivy covered the castle ruins that apparently still existed at the time.
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://store.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,719626,730863,7,8 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ F. Elrington Ball: History of Dublin . Alexander Thom and Co., 1902-1920. Volume 2. p. 4.
- ^ F. Elrington Ball: History of Dublin . Alexander Thom and Co., 1902-1920. Volume 2. p. 8.
- ^ F. Elrington Ball: History of Dublin . Alexander Thom and Co., 1902-1920. Volume 2. p. 19.
- ↑ Walsh's Impartial Newsletter . May 16, 1729.
- ^ Richard Perry: Wildlife in Britain and Ireland . Redwood Burn, 1978. p. 112.
- ^ F. Elrington Ball: History of Dublin . Alexander Thom and Co., 1902-1920. Volume 2. p. 21.
