 |
Athlone Castle
| |
Architect/Builder:
|
|
John
de Gray, Bishop of Norwich |
| |
Date: |
|
1210
with many later modifications |
| |
Location: |
|
Bank of the Shannon west side in the townland of Athlone &
Bigmeadow. |
The earliest recorded “castle” of Athlone was a wooden
structure built in 1129, by King Turlough O’Conor of Connaught,
possibly on the site of the present castle. The stone castle
which survives today dates from 1210 and was built for King
John by his Irish Justiciar, Bishop John de Gray of Norwich.
It was built to defend the crossing point of the river at Athlone
and to provide a bridgehead to facilitate the Norman advance
into Connaught.
The castle of 1210 was a free standing polygonal tower built
on a newly built (or existing) ‘motte’ or man-made
hill. This tower, though great altered, can still be seen as
the central keep or ‘donjon’ of the castle today.
At the time the castle was built the Shannon, as it passed through
Athlone, was very different than it is today. It is likely that
in the early days of its existence the castle enjoyed the protection
of a fosse or moat.
The castle was greatly fortified in the late 13th century (c1276)
when the original ‘motte’ was surrounded with a curtain
wall with three-quarter round towers (or drum towers) at the
corner. These features, again greatly rebuilt, still survive
today. They came under heavy fire during the Sieges of Athlone
in 1690-91 and were later destroyed when lightening struck the
castle in 1697. The castle as we view it today shows signs of
extensive remodelling during the Napoleonic era when it was
modernised and adapted for artillery. Today the squat drum towers
are somewhat reminiscent of the Martello towers (again of the
Napoleonic era) which are found around Dublin.
The large scale Ordnance Survey map of 1874 names some of the
features which were then extant on the castle. These include:
Officers’ quarters & soldiers’ quarters; master
gunners’ quarters; guard house; ablutions room; cook house;
kitchen; guard house and draw bridge. The officers’ quarters
and soldiers’ quarters were located in the five-bay, two-storey
barrack building which overlooks Main Street. This late Georgian
building dates to c1810.
A careful examination of the Castle still reveals many interesting
features including the shape of the ‘sally gate’ in
the wall of the castle overlooking the Shannon; a bow loop recalling
the era when the castle was protected by archers, in the wall
facing into Castle Street as well as gun-embrasures and pistol
loops on the walls protecting the entrance ramp. One important
feature which disappeared in the 20th century was the drawbridge
which survived until the 1940s.
The Keep of the Castle is a National Monument. The castle which
had been part of the defences of Athlone for 750 years became
the home of a museum run by the Old Athlone Society in 1966
and of a modern visitor centre developed by Athlone Urban District
Council in 1991. Athlone Castle is pivotal to the understanding
of the development of the town of Athlone and is, as such, the
most important architectural feature in the town – linking
the modern Athlone with its Norman founders. The seasonal Tourist
Office is located on the Castle.
 |
|
Attributed to Jan Peeters 1 (1624-c.1677)
Athlone Castle, County Westmeath,
1650s
Brown ink with black chalk on paper, 25.3 x 38.7 cm
Collection, National Gallery of Ireland
Photo ©
National Gallery of Ireland
|
|
|
| |
