Monkstown Castle

Today Monkstown Castle is situated in the suburbs of Dublin. In medieval times the castle here was the centre of a large farm owned by the Cistercian monks of St. Mary’s Abbey in the city of Dublin. When St Mary’s Abbey was dissolved in 1540 the castle at Monkstown was granted to John Travers who came to Ireland from Cornwall. Travers was Master of the Ordnance and a Groom of the Chamber to the King. During the Cromwellian period the castle was granted to General Edmund Ludlow, Cromwell’s Master of the Horse in Ireland, and one of the signatories of the death warrant of Charles I. We know from early paintings that this was a very large castle with a number of buildings, though many of these have long since disappeared. Today the castle consists of the original gatehouse with a high vault overhead and a large three-storey tower that formed one side of a large hall that has disappeared. Please note that many of these monuments may be on private land and may not be publicly accessible. When setting out to visit monuments please ensure that you wear appropriate footwear and clothing. Access to monuments without Visitor Services may be across uneven ground which may not be suitable for everyone and, in particular, wheelchair users.