[Pg 337]

THE IRISH PENNY JOURNAL.

DRIMNAGH CASTLE, COUNTY OF DUBLIN.

Among the many objects of historical or picturesque interestin the immediate vicinity of our metropolis, there arefew, perhaps, better worthy of a visit than the subject of ourprefixed illustration—the old Castle of Drimnagh, which issituated between the villages of Crumlin and Clondalkin, anddistant about three miles from the city. We have here presentedto us an ancient castellated residence, of irregular buthighly picturesque outline, still surrounded and protected byits ancient moat, and, though in good condition and inhabited,still retaining to such an extent its original character asa place of strength, that as we look upon it, we might almostimagine ourselves living in the ages of its military greatness,and belonging to a state of society very different from thatsecure and peaceful one in which we happily have our existence.In addition to these circumstances, the Castle ofDrimnagh is highly interesting, from the beauty and picturesquenessof its situation, which is not only strikingly romanticin itself, but commands a variety of views of the mostpleasing character; as the scenery of the City and Bay towardsthe east; that of the Park, Castleknock, and Clondalkin, towardsthe north; and, in congenial harmony with its ivied walls, thedark mountains of the county of Dublin towards the south—thewild fastnesses of the Irish clans whose predatory aggressionsit was originally built to repress.

The date of the erection of this castle is not exactly known,but there is every reason to presume that it was originallyfounded as early as the reign of John, by Hugh de Bernivale,who it is probable came with that Prince into Ireland, andat all events received in 1215 a grant from him of the landsof Drimnagh and Terenure, which continued in the possessionof his descendants for four centuries afterwards. It is fromthis Hugh de Bernivale, who, as it is said, derived his descentfrom the ancient Dukes of Brittany, that the several noblefamilies of Barnwall, in Ireland, descend. He died in 1221,leaving a son and heir, Hugo, who died without issue the 8thof October 1237; and another son, Reginald, who becomingheir to his brother, had his inheritance of four carracutes ofland with their appurtenances in Drimnagh and Terenureconfirmed to him by patent, by king Henry III. These possessionswere ultimately, and after much litigation, alienatedfrom the family in the reign of James I, when they passedinto the hands of Sir Adam Loftus, ancestor of the noble familyof Ely; but Drimnagh Castle is at present the propertyof the Marquis of Lansdowne.

The Castle of Drimnagh has been repaired or re-edifiedat various times, so that it is not an easy matter to determineat present what portions of it are of great antiquity, andwhat are altogether of more recent date; but upon the wholeit will convey a very good idea of the fortified residence of anoble family in Ireland previous to the close of the seventeenthcentury. During the troubles consequent upon thegreat rebellion of 1641, it was considered a fortress of suchconsequence that the Duke of Ormond had, in 1649, somethoughts of strengthening its fortifications and making it hisresidence, but was dissuaded from doing so by General Purcileand other officers of his army.

P.

...