Thursday, March 03, 2011

Irish Castles

dublincastle

In Dublin, we toured Dublin Castle. It was the seat of English rule of Ireland until 1922, when it was turned over to the new Republic. The tower is medieval, the rest much newer.

Today we roamed through The Burren, a region of very rocky hills and cliffs. Ancient stone tombs from pre-Celtic people are the best known, but many sorts of castles were also a highlight of the visit. The earliest were built in the 7th century. Some are ruins through which you can see the sky. Others look nearly new, and are private residences or hotels, probably incorporating one much older tower. Some were obviously fortified, and face the sea; others appear to have been stately residences for wealthy land owners. Were they ruined by time or by rebellions? We don't really know.

castle1

castle2

castle2-1

castle3

castle4

castle5

castle6

As we left The Burren, the sun was setting over the water.

csunset

1 comment:

Jeanie said...

Oh, that sunset. That water...