The Tourist Information Dublin website
[visit
link] tells us
"Dublin castle was originally built on the orders of
King John of England in 1204 on a site previously settled by the Vikings. He
ordered that a castle be built with strong walls and good ditches for the
defence of the city, the administration of justice, and the protection of the
King’s treasure.
The castle was of typical Norman courtyard design, with
a central square, bounded on all sides by tall defensive walls and protected at
each corner by a circular tower. The castle formed one corner of the outer city
wall, using the Poddle river as a means of defence along two of its
sides.
The building was damaged by fire in 1673, and was
demolished soon after. The only remainder of medieval buildings above ground
level today, is the great Record Tower (dating from about
1228-1230).
It was rebuilt in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th
centuries, Dublin Castle is now used for State receptions and Presidential
Inaugurations.
During its lifetime Dublin Castle has been used as a
military fortress, a prison, treasury, courts of law and the seat of English
Administration in Ireland. The Bermingham Tower and its adjoining buildings
served as the main cell and dungeon block.
The Irish Crown Jewels were stolen from the Castle in
1907.
Dublin Castle has appeared in a number of films
including Barry Lyndon, Michael Collins, Becoming Jane and The Medallion. It was
also used in the television series The Tudors, where it doubles as the Vatican
in the pilot.
The State Apartments, Undercroft, Chapel Royal, Craft
Shop, Heritage Centre and Restaurant are open to visitors."
The Dublin Castle website gives a detailed history of the
castle and this page [visit
link] tells of the modern Dublin Castle:
"It was fortunate that Dublin Castle survived the
devastation of the 1916 rebellion, the subsequent Civil War and transition to
Irish nationhood. It wasn't destroyed, blown up or burnt down like many other
colonial buildings were, nor were the trappings of colonial rule removed. It did
however suffer loss of stature and significance. It was neglected and over time,
fell into disrepair.
The Four Courts moved into the State Apartments. The
Revenue Commissioners (whose function had been carried out in the Castle since
medieval times) took over the Ship Street Army Barracks and the former Ordnance
Office of the Royal Engineers (currently the Chester Beatty Library). Offices of
Government Departments, such as the General Post Office engineers, secretaries
and savings bank, took other accommodation. A rare stately use of the Castle was
the inauguration of Douglas Hyde as the first President of Ireland in St.
Patrick's Hall on 25th June 1938.
The Children's Court moved into the north-west corner of
the Upper Yard in 1939. Their neighbours at that time included the Chief State
Solicitor's Office and the Genealogical Office, which had been in the Bedford
Tower since 1903. The Lower Yard housed the Civic Guards Office and Barracks
(they took over from the Dublin Metropolitan Police in 1922), the Statistics,
Claims and Record Office, Gas, Weights and Measures, Revenue Commissioners and
offices of the Department of Industry and Commerce.
Fire damaged the State Drawing and Ante Drawing Rooms in
the south-east corner of the State Apartments in 1941. The adjoining cross block
had been divided between offices of the Chief Secretary and the Viceroy. The
Council Chamber, which was used for swearing in new Viceroys and by the Privy
Council, lay between them, over the archway. It had structural weaknesses and
was completely rebuilt in 1962. Works in the adjoining State Drawing Room area
were completed in 1968 and the Apollo Room now contains the ornate plaster
ceiling and fireplace of the demolished Georgian, Tracton House.
A new modern
office block was built in the Lower Yard, on the site of the former stables and
occupied by the Revenue Commissioners in 1974. George's Hall was constructed in
1911, as a supper room for the last royal visit - that of King George V and
Queen Mary and adjoins the western end of the State Apartments. It was adapted
for use, in conjunction with St. Patrick's Hall, for Ireland's First Presidency
of the European Union in 1975 - Ireland having joined three years
previously.
Architectural investigations had discovered that Block 8
in the north range was 'breaking its backs on the old Castle foundations'. This
18th Century building straddled both the old foundations and the moat, and
uneven subsidence was cracking its spine. In 1986, the front wall was held in
place and a new building erected behind it. The adjoining Block 10, an infill
building of the 1830's, was taken down. Archaeological investigations revealed
the Castle ditch (moat), parts of the medieval walls, the remains of the Powder
Tower and Viking defence banks - with external stone facing protecting it from
the Poddle. These were preserved in a chamber, known as the Undercroft beneath
the basement level of the new building and can now be viewed on the guided tour
of the Castle.
A modern, purpose-built, International Conference Centre
was constructed by the Office of Public Works, behind the façade of the
north-east corner of the Upper Castle Yard for Ireland's Presidency of the
European Union, 1990. The main hall partly rests on the excavated base of the
Cork Tower and former Castle moat, from which thousands of artefacts were found
during archaeological excavations. It had been used as a convenient dump over
the centuries and houses and gardens were built on it by the 17th Century. The
finds included pottery and glass, roof and floor tiles, tools and ornaments of
iron and bronze, animal and human bones and weapons, which illuminate Dublin and
Castle life in former times. A colourful selection is displayed in the main
conference lobby. Paintings from the 'Castle Collection' and modern works of art
by Irish artists are on view throughout the centre.
The 'Blind' Gate of Fortitude, between the Conference
Centre and the Bedford Clock Tower, was opened and a new La Touche Bridge gives
further access across the new moat pool. The arcade of the former La Touche
Bank, which had encroached on the Castle Ditch or Moat, now forms the walkway
between the International Conference Centre and the new Castle Hall, which, in
conjunction with Bedford Tower, comprises the conference dining and meeting
facilities. The new façade of Castle Hall is faced with granite, with limestone
bands, to distinguish them from the brick elevations of the older buildings. The
top floor of Bedford Tower, which was added in the 1820's, was removed during
these renovation works - so restoring the architectural symmetry of the Upper
Castle Yard. A dial from the old clock face is displayed in the ground floor
dining area.
The Gothic Chapel Royal was designed by Francis Johnston
and opened by Lord Lieutenant Whitworth in 1814. His secluded private passageway
to the State Apartments can still be used. It is famous for its carved stone
heads by Edward Smyth and plasterwork by Stapleton. Its carved oak galleries and
stained glass windows display the coats of arms of the Justiciars, Lord
Deputies, Lord Lieutenants and Viceroys, (these titles were often
interchangeable), from the first - Hugh de Lacy (1172) to the last - FitzAlan
(1922). It was refurbished and the foundations strengthened in the 1990's as it
was in danger of subsiding into the Poddle.
The Ship Street Barrack and Ordnance Office were also
renovated by the Office of Public Works and adapted to new usage for old clients
- the Revenue Commissioners. So also was the Lord Lieutenant's Coach House,
where the castellated frontage had been erected to obscure the back of nearby
houses and provide Queen Victoria with a regal view. It is now a very successful
conference and dining venue.
The Castle site has been occupied over the ages and
modified to suit its ever-changing functions. All the historic buildings have
been restored and it is now been fully integrated into Irish Society. Dublin
Castle now plays host to European Union Presidencies, Heads of State, leaders of
business, industry and government. It is also a major tourist attraction and
citizens of all nations savour the variety of the facilities and experience the
unique historic layers revealed throughout the complex - from the Norman Tower
to the world treasures of the Chester Beatty Library and from the Viking defence
bank to the splendid State Apartments."