Dunsoghly Castle is a castle and a National Monument located in the civil parish of St. Margarets, in Fingal, Ireland.[2] The castle has been in state ownership since 1914. It is managed by the Office of Public Works.[3]
| Dunsoghly Castle | |
|---|---|
| Native name Caisleán Dún Sochlaigh (Irish) | |
.jpg) | |
| Type | castle |
| Location | Dunsoghly, St Margaret's, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°25′37″N 6°19′06″W / 53.426923°N 6.318328°W |
| Built | c. 1450 |
  Location of Dunsoghly Castle in Dublin | |
| Official name | Dunsoghly Castle |
| Reference no. | 230[1] |
History
editThe castle was built around 1450 by Sir Thomas Plunket,[4][5] Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. It was occupied by the Plunket family until the 1870s, despite "being a cramped Irish castle and uncomfortable by post-medieval standards".[6] The castle's main tower is four-storey's tall and has tapering (almost square) turrets at each corner, rising above the parapet.[7][6]
The roof, which is arch-braced with four oak principals, has served as a model for restorations at Bunratty Castle and Rothe House.[6] On each collar-beam of the roof stands a king-post supporting a purlin and cross-pieces below the ridge. The rafters are laid flat rather than on edge as in modern roofs and the framework is covered with split laths.[citation needed]
There is a small chapel to the south bearing the year "1573" over the door,[8] the Instruments of the Passion and the initials of Sir John Plunket and his third wife Jenet Sarsfield. Sir John Plunket was the grandson of Sir Thomas Plunket, who built Dunsoghly, and like his grandfather he was Chief Justice in one of the courts of common law. On the west and south of the castle are remains of earthwork defences which were reputedly constructed in the mid-17th century.[6]
Popular culture
editDunsoghly was used as Edinburgh Castle set in the 1995 film Braveheart.[7]
References
edit- ^ "National Monuments of County Dublin in State Care" (PDF). heritageireland.ie. National Monument Service. p. 2. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
- ^ Lewis, Samuel (1837). "Margaret's St (Dublin)". A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. Dublin – via libraryireland.com.
- ^ Lanigan, Michael (22 August 2023). "A local historian pushes for the state to open up Fingal's Dunsoghly Castle". Dublin Inquirer.
- ^ "Dunsoghly Castle". irishantiquities.bravehost.com.
- ^ "Sir Thomas Plunkett, of Dunsoghly". humphrysfamilytree.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Dunsoghly Castle, County Dublin". irelandseye.com.
- ^ a b "Dunsoghly". carneycastle.com. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- ^ "Dunsoghly Castle, St Margaret's, North County Dublin 1490". curiousireland.ie. March 2014.