Middle AgesEarly 13th century · Roebuck Castle, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
800-year-old Norman castle found hidden inside a Victorian house in Dublin
The walls of medieval Roebuck Castle, long thought cleared away about 150 years ago, survive under plaster on University College Dublin's Belfield campus.
In brief 3 key points
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- Medieval castle walls survive inside a Victorian house in Dublin.
- The castle was thought demolished about 150 years ago.
- The exact building date still needs more archaeological research.
The walls of a Norman castle, probably built in the early 13th century, survive inside Roebuck Castle. This 19th-century house stands on University College Dublin's Belfield campus. The medieval castle was long thought to have been cleared away when the present building went up about 150 years ago.
Prof. Tadhg O'Keeffe published the research in Archaeology Ireland magazine. He is a specialist in medieval architectural history at the UCD School of Archaeology. He found the medieval walls preserved inside the building, hidden under plaster.
“UCD can now claim to have the oldest standing building on any university campus in Ireland”
Prof. Tadhg O'Keeffe, UCD School of Archaeology
A fortress on the road into Dublin
Roebuck was an important fortress on one of the approach roads into medieval Dublin. Historical sources indicate it was probably built in the early 13th century. That was within living memory of the Norman invasion of 1169. The castle was altered several times during the Middle Ages.
Its occupants included a medieval Lord High Chancellor of Ireland. James II reputedly stayed there in 1689, after he lost his throne in the Glorious Revolution. By the 18th century the castle had fallen into ruin.
Many castles like it were demolished in the 17th century. Their stonework was reused in more comfortable homes. Roebuck lasted into the later 18th century as a ruin.
Lord Trimleston repaired it in 1790 as a country retreat, according to Popular Mechanics. The property changed hands several times. A final modernisation in 1874 gave it the Victorian Gothic look it has today. It was assumed that nothing medieval could have survived both rounds of rebuilding.
Clues in an 18th-century watercolour
A watercolour helped O'Keeffe work out the building's history. Gabriel Beranger was a Dutch-born artist of Huguenot descent who lived in Dublin. He visited the ruined castle around 1765 and brought his watercolours with him. His painting shows a decaying building, with some of its windows broken.
“He captured the basic form of the building, as you would expect, but thankfully he also captured some of those small details which are the clues needed to work out the building's structural history.”
Prof. Tadhg O'Keeffe, UCD School of Archaeology
O'Keeffe described what survives inside the house.
“From the outside, the present building looks to be entirely Victorian. Inside, though, the walls of the old castle are preserved. The medieval features are still there. They're hidden under plaster, but they can be made out.”
Prof. Tadhg O'Keeffe, UCD School of Archaeology
A ground plan released by UCD shows two medieval parts inside the Georgian and Victorian house: an older gate-building and a later wing. O'Keeffe said the modernisers "simply built around the medieval castle rather than demolish it". They also built very little else on the site. The courtyard behind today's house is the medieval castle courtyard, he said.
“The passage of time has been unkind to the castles which were built across south Dublin in the Middle Ages. Lost buildings are lost historical records. They leave gaps in our knowledge.”
Prof. Tadhg O'Keeffe, UCD School of Archaeology
The exact date of the castle is not yet settled. O'Keeffe is confident that the oldest part dates to the early 13th century, because Beranger's watercolours are so accurate. Castles of that period are not common, the university said. More archaeological research is needed to establish the exact date.
Sources (2)
Official announcementfrom University College Dublin
- A 13th-Century Castle Was Lost to Time Until Archaeologists Found It—Inside Another Castle (popularmechanics.com)
- (opens in a new window)Find a UCD Researcher (University College Dublin)
Edited by Guiseppe Weijermars
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