The Medieval Castles of Ireland

David Sweetman

• Publisher: Four Courts Press
• Year: 2026
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781801512381
• Subtopic: European Medieval History
• Index: History

While ' an Englishman' s home is his castle' , in Ireland virtually all castles were built for defensive purposes. The medieval castles of Ireland traces the development of the Irish medieval castle, drawing on the research and records of the Archaeological Survey of Ireland and David Sweetman' s four decades of experience in medieval archaeology. It is the most thorough and accessible book available on Irish castles with 200 original drawings and photographs. This new edition of David Sweetman' s classic monograph takes the reader from early Anglo-Norman earthworks, the great fortifications like Trim Castle, through to the ubiquitous towerhouse and, finally, the fortified houses of the Elizabethan period. This book forms a basic framework and reference from which the student and academic can progress the subject of castle studies. At the same time, its accessible contents and stunning full-colour photography provide the general reader with an understanding of the buildings that are such a distinctive and dramatic feature in the Irish landscape.

Table of contents

• Cover
• 1/2 title
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• Preface to the new edition
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1 Earth and Timber Castles
• 2 The Anglo-Norman Stone Fortress
• 2 Hall-Houses
• 4 Late Medieval Stone Fortresses
• 5 The Tower House
• 6 Fortified Houses and Stronghouses
• Notes
• Bibiography
• Glossary
• Index