Maynooth Castle
| Maynooth Castle | |
|---|---|
| Native name Irish: Caisleán Má Nuad | |
 Ruins of Maynooth Castle, Kildare | |
| Type | Castle |
| Location | Parson Street, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°22′51″N 6°35′40″W / 53.38085°N 6.59442°W |
| Area | The Pale |
| Founder | Gerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly |
| Built | early 13th century |
| Architectural style(s) | Norman |
| Official name | Maynooth Castle |
| Reference no. | 485 |
  Location of Maynooth Castle in Ireland | |
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Maynooth Castle is a ruined castle in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland which stands at the entrance to the South Campus of Maynooth University.[1][2] Constructed in the early 13th century, it became the primary residence of the Kildare Fitzmaurice and Fitzgerald family.[1]
History
The area covered by modern Kildare was granted by
of Leinster. Lords Deputy of Ireland
.
The Fitzgerald occupation of the castle ended with the 1534 rebellion of
Silken Thomas, the son of the ninth Earl of Kildare. An English force led by William Skeffington
bombarded the massive castle in March 1535, the heavy modern siege guns of the English army making a ruin of much of the Medieval structure. The castle fell after a ten-day siege and the garrison summarily executed before the castle gate. Silken Thomas was captured shortly after and committed to the Tower of London with his five uncles. They were executed for treason at Tyburn on 3 February 1537.
The Castle was restored in 1630-35 by
Eleven years war. Only the gatehouse (on which united arms of the Boyles and FitzGeralds can still be viewed) and the Solar Tower survive. The Fitzgeralds left Maynooth Castle for good and made first Kilkea Castle and then Carton House
their family seat.
Restoration work on the castle was restarted by the Office of Public Works in February 2000 to develop it into a Heritage Site.[1] It is now open to the public from May to September, 10.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.. Today the partly ruined building remains as a tourist attraction, with limited access possible.
References
- ^ a b c d "Maynooth Castle | Heritage Ireland". heritageireland.ie. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ "Visit Maynooth Castle with Discover Ireland". Discover Ireland. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
Sources
- "Maynooth Castle". Saint Patrick's College. Archived from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.