A group from Active Age for All and others from Failte Isteach ( kindly supported by Fingal Co Co) enjoyed a trip to Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty Library at the end of May. We departed Donabate/ Portrane Community Centre on a dull drizzly morning but happily the day improved by the time we got to the castle and spirits were in no way dampned.

At the Castle we met our lovely guide Ellie who led us on a very interesting and informative tour. She explained that the site is at ( now over) the dark tidal pool where the Poddle river joins the Liffey, this was called Dubh Linn ( black pool) and is the origin of Dublin city’s name. Originally a Gaelic settlement then taken over by the Vikings, who called it Dyflin, then from 1204 to 1922 it was the seat of English rule in Ireland. It was developed into a medieval fortress by King John which remained largely intact until a major fire in 1684. In the 1980s during remedial works to some of the buildings part of the original wall and Viking structures were discovered and can be explored by visitors today. On the 16th January 1922 the last Viceroy of Ireland handed Dublin Castle over to Michael Collins and the government of the new Irish state. Since that historic moment a tradition of state ceremony has continued at the Castle and from 1938 each one of Ireland’s presidents has been inaugurated in St Patricks Hall, the grandest of the State apartments.

On our tour we visited the cellars contained the remains of the Powder Tower and the original castle wall; the Chapel Royal and the State apartments which are very impressive.

We lunched in the Chester Beatty library at the Silk Road cafe before exploring the treasures of the library. Then a quick cup of coffee before we had to head back to our bus and home. All in all a very enjoyable day, plans for the next outing are in being worked on already !