Ireland's Dublin Castle

For 700 years Ireland was ruled by the English as symbolized by Dublin
Castle. Only the Norman Record Tower survives from the original
Castle on this spot. It was built around 1204 and was part of Dublin's
defense system along with the city walls. In 1684 there was a fire and
the Surveyor-General, Sir William Robinson, laid out the
plans for the Upper and Lower castle yards in their present form.
The Record Tower (1258) was used as the main centre
for British Administration from the 18th Century till 1922.
On one side of the Castle Yard are the State Apartments, which are
open to the public. All are filled with treasures- beautiful paintings,
furniture, Wedgwood china, Waterford Glass, a Vincenzo Valdre
ceiling, Adam fireplaces and are reached by a flight of connemara Marble stairs.
St. Patricks Hall is where Irish Presidents are inaugurated, and it
has a painted ceiling by Vincenzo Valdré (1778) with
the arms of the Knights of St. Patrick painted in a frieze.

The Bedford tower dates from 1760.

The Birmingham Tower dates from the 14th century
but was turned into elegant supper rooms about 1740.

The Octagonal Tower is from about 1812.

The Church of the Most Holy Trinity, by Francis Johnston,
dates from 1814 and has 100 heads carved by Edward Smyth