Visited August 2023

Location	Dubin, Ireland
Entrance Fee	Yes
Railway Station Nearby	Yes
Parking	City Car Parks
Facilities	Toilets
Map

Dublin Castle said to have been the most hated castle in Ireland, because it was the power base of the english rulers constructed it. It was built on the highest point of Dublin, which was also the site of earlier Viking defences, some remains of which have been unearthed under the current day castle.

Review

The castle was originally started by the Normans, to consolidate their power in Ireland. It was built and rebuilt over the years, and in fact one of the towers had scaffolding on it the day we visited, so work on the castle is still ongoing even in this modern era.

The castle site has been altered so much that it no longer resembles a castle much. It is still based around the original castle courtyard, and has some remaining towers, the most impressive of which is the Records Tower, but most people would be excused for thinking the site was just a collection of government buildings, built like a lot of Dublin, in the Georgian times.

The castle site gets very busy in summer, and there are often queues to get in. We avoided this by going att he end of the day when it was much quieter. The courtyard can be entered for free- the interior of the castle has an entrance fee which allows access to the state rooms of the castle, which are still used today.

The rooms are very luxuriously appointed, our favourite was the throne room, which as you can probably guess, contains a throne. This was made for King George IV when he visited Ireland in 1821. In 1849 his niece Queen Victoria visited, and sat on the same throne, but as she was so short she found it difficult to perch as her feet didn't reach the ground.

The castle apartments also contains an impressive collection of art, with a detailed guide to the pieces in the collection available as part of the ticket price.

Talking of tickets, if you are an English Heritage member you can use your card to get into Dublin Castle for free (although please check this agreement is still in place at the time of your visit- things change!)

Admittedly the state rooms of a castle that doesn't look much like a castle anymore may not hold the attention of children, but they might enjoy the park behind the castle, which is a welcome green space to relax or have a picnic. 

There are of course many other attractions in Dublin, we enjoyed a boat trip on the river with live commentary on all the sights,  and a walk over the many bridges on the River Liffey- the most famous and picturesque of all being the Ha'penny Bridge. It is said you have not properly been to Dublin if you have not crossed this bridge, and it is pedestrianised so safe for children to wander across. 

More info:  Dublin Castle