Trim Castle is a castle located in the Irish city of Trim (Country: Ireland), currently belonging to County Meath, which was built on the banks of the River Boyne. It occupies a total area of about 30,000 m², which makes it the largest castle in Ireland, as well as the largest architectural complex of so-called Norman architecture in Europe. It was built by Hugo de Lacy and his son Walter de Lacy.
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| Trim Castle |
Trim Castle, also called King John's Castle, is the largest of the Anglo-Norman fortifications built in Ireland, and during the past decade it experienced a moment of resurrection with the release of the film Braveheart in 1995, as this castle was scene of several scenes of the film.
It was built from the year 1172 by order of Hugo de Lacey and his offspring Walter, and almost three decades were spent on the construction works, raising the imposing fortress on the remains of a previous building.
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| Trim Castle |
What most stands out about the castle at first sight is its imposing Torre del Homenaje, a 20-sided tower with a cruciform floor plan, which was protected by a triple barrier consisting of a ditch, a wall and then a moat. This tower began to be built in 1175, just three years after the works began and received some extension work well into the 13th century.
The quality of its design and materials have made it possible for it to survive to this day in a very good state of preservation, considering that it is almost 9 centuries old and has withstood various attacks and assaults.
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| Trim Castle |
The walls of Trim Castle are a defensive reinforcement added to the very ground on which the fortress sits, which is protected to the North by the River Boyne and the marshes to the North West, which remain flooded for most of the year.
In addition to this, the castle had a system of dams that channeled water from the river to deposit it in the moat. Few traces remain of the medieval town that prospered next to Trim Castle, although it is possible to distinguish the parts of the wall that guarded it, as well as the remains of the bridge that connected the castle with the town.