Castleknock Castle

Following the triumph of the Anglo-Normans, the knight Hugh Tyrrel was granted the barony of Castleknock, where he would construct a castle by the same name, choosing the location for its command over the route to Dublin.

In subsequent years, a folk superstition claimed that a female figure, robed in white, could be seen moving slowly around the castle at midnight.

[4] When distant chimes sound midnight hour,The spirit pure is seen;And moving round the lonely tower,Looks bright as moonlight beam.And as the moonbeams tint the walls,And light the turret's crest,

"The castle, which by the 17th century had fallen out of the hands of the Tyrrels, was partially destroyed after the War of the Three Kingdoms, largely owing to considerable artillery damage.

The English, led by General Monck, had taken it in 1642 with the help of heavy cannon fire;[2] five years later, in 1647, it was retaken by the Irish following Owen Roe O'Neill's siege.

[1] However, after failing to capture nearby Dublin, O'Neill retreated from the position, using scorched earth policy to prevent the advancing English from using the land to their benefit.

[1] While it was still intact, the polygonal keep, measuring about 24m in height,[2] was the most notable feature of the castle, giving a commanding view over the route to Dublin.