Maynooth Castle

Maynooth was the principal seat of the FitzGeralds, Earls of Kildare, who for much of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries effectively governed Ireland on the crown's behalf. The keep dates to around 1203. In March 1535, during the rebellion of Silken Thomas FitzGerald, the castle was besieged by crown artillery and fell after a week; the garrison surrendered on terms and was executed anyway, and the episode became known sardonically as the Pardon of Maynooth - a phrase used afterwards to mean a promise of mercy not kept. The FitzGerald power did not recover. What survives is the keep, the gatehouse and sections of curtain wall, standing at the entrance to Maynooth's main street next to the university that was later founded on the family's land. Entry is free, with a small exhibition and guided tours during the summer season only.

History

Strongbow granted the area to Maurice Fitzgerald in 1176, and the original keep was built about 1203 by his son Gerald Fitzmaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly, where two rivers meet. The Fitzgerald occupation ended with the rebellion of Silken Thomas in 1534, and in March 1535 an English force under William Skeffington bombarded the castle with heavy siege guns (Wikipedia, Maynooth Castle).

What's there

• The keep - the early thirteenth-century tower, the main survival.
• The gatehouse and curtain - the remaining defences at the street entrance.
• The 1535 siege ground - where the artillery breach and surrender happened.
• The setting - directly beside the university and the town's main street.

When to go

April to September, when the site is staffed and tours run; outside that the grounds may be viewed but the buildings are closed. It takes an hour.

Practical notes

Seasonal opening only - closed for much of the year. Much of the castle is gone; the keep and gatehouse are what remain. Small exhibition, limited interpretation.

Nearby

Maynooth University and Saint Patrick's College are through the gates; Castletown House is south-east.

Key facts