Medieval Dublin and Castles

The high, crenelated Record Tower is the oldest part of Dublin Castle, dating back to twelve twenty-eight. It survived a massive accidental explosion in the powder magazine nearby in seventeen seventy-seven that leveled much of the…

The square, flat-topped tower of Saint Werburgh’s Church rises over Dublin Castle with a missing spire. In seventeen fifty-four, the church spire was taken down because it was considered a danger to the nearby Viceregal Apartments. Lord…

Isolde’s Tower sits at the corner of Essex Quay and Exchange Street, marked by the curving stone wall that survives from Dublin’s thirteenth century defensive fortifications. It formed the southeastern corner of the medieval city walls,…

The grey concrete slab of the Dublin City Council offices sits directly over the medieval heart of the city. Beneath the pavement lie the remains of a tenth century Viking harbor, featuring wicker-lined pits and timber houses that were…

Christ Church Cathedral carries a heavy, dark stone exterior topped by a prominent, weathered copper roof. Built in the eleventh century by the Viking King Sitric Silkenbeard, it began as a simple wooden structure for the converted…

The building of Dublinia consists of a medieval stone tower connected to the city by a high, enclosed bridge spanning the street. It occupies the site of the old Saint Michael’s Church, incorporating the original tower into its modern…

St. Audoen’s Park contains the only remaining medieval city gate of Dublin, known as Saint Audoen’s Arch. Beside it, the walls of the thirteenth century church stand exposed, showing layers of stonework from centuries of repair and…

The spire of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral rises above the surrounding neighborhood, marking the site where a wooden church first stood nearly nine centuries ago. This is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Jonathan Swift served…