Rathfarnham Castle, which dates from Elizabethan times, is probably the earliest example of what is termed a ‘fortified house’ built in Ireland. It was built for Archbishop Adam Loftus, an ambitious Yorkshire clergyman who was the first Provost of Trinity. He later became Lord Chancellor of Ireland. In the late eighteenth century, the house was remodelled on a splendid scale employing some of the finest architects of the day including Sir William Chambers and James ‘Athenian’ Stuart. The collection includes family portraits by Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807), Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680), and Hugh Douglas Hamilton (1740-1808).
The Loftus family left and sold the Castle in the nineteenth century and it was occupied by a series of later owners, mostly notably the Blackburne family. Part of the estate was purchased by The Jesuits in 1913 and used as a seminary. It was subsequently sold in the early 1980’s.
Rathfarnham Castle is now managed and operated by the Office of Public Works. Since 1988, the Office of Public Works has undertaken considerable work including repairing the fabric of the building, re-roofing the Castle, removing the 1920s wings and renovating the eighteenth-century kitchen wing. The exterior of the castle has been re-rendered using traditional lime harling. During the works, many exciting archaeological artefacts were discovered!
There will be a guided tour of the Castle. There is a coffee shop next door and the Yellow House Pub is nearby. It is easily accessible by bus (Routes 16,15B and 74) and there is some paid parking available.
Booking opens on March 27th at 9.00am and closes on April 8th at 11.30pm. There is a cost of €4 per person.
Trinity Retirement Association
info@tcdretired.ie