History
Visiting Swords Castle has been a very pleasant experience, thanks to the panels and the brochures that the Fingal County Council and Swords Cultural Quarter made available, that guide the visitors through a remarkably large area of 1.5 acres (6000 square meters), containing a number of invaluable buildings and architectural elements, enclosed in a 300m long pentagonal curtain wall [1]. Unless otherwise specified, these will be the main sources of information in this section.
Standing beside the river Ward, Swords Castle was built by the first Anglo-Norman Archbishop of Dublin, John Comyn, around 1200, and it was intended to function not as a castle but as the residence for the archbishop [1]. It is considered the best surviving example of archbishop palace in Ireland [1]. However, it is stated in [2] that a monastic settlement already existed in Swords from the 6th century and it was attributed to St. Columba (or Colmcille).
To increase the income of his estate, John Comyn encouraged the construction of a town around the castle, offering the same trading and tax privilege of Dublin to the new settlers, who paid in return an annual rent of 12 pence [1]. Moreover, in 1193 Comyn established an eight-day annual fair from the feast of St Columcille, occurring on the 9th of June, which also generated income and helped in the development of Swords, which became known as the “Golden Prebend” such was its wealth [1, 2]. In 1216 the manor of Swords was granted to Henry de Loundres, the second English Archbishop and William Galrote held the position of chief constable of the castle in 1220 [2]. Probably the first gatehouse also dates back to the 12th century, although the one we can admire today is a later addition [1], probably dating mid 1400’s, a period of intense fortification in this part of the country.
In this way, Swords Castle became the financial and administrative centre of an active and prosperous village, and it included a kitchen and larder, a bakehouse and dairy, stables and a carpenter's workshop together with the archbishop's hall, chapel, chamber and garden, and a Weekly Monday market took place outside on the main street [1].
In more detail, the extraordinary large chapel was probably erected before the 14th century, as archaeological excavations revealed a silver coin of Philip IV of France (1285-1314) near the bottom of the North wall of the building [1]. The chapel is connected to the chamber block, which consists of three floors of accommodation [1]. The ground floor was used for storage and, above this, another chamber was present, probably used as a waiting area for visitors, accessible using external wooden stairs [1]. On the second floor was the archbishops private chamber [1].
As stated in [2] and [3], Swords Castle was occupied by Archbishops of Dublin until Archbishop Alexander de Bicknor built a new fortified palace at Tallaght in 1324, where he moved, abandoning the Swords residence, which consequently fell into disrepair. Consequently, de Bicknor was accused of mishandling the treasury and the Sheriff of Dublin brought him in front of an inquisition on March 1326, which resulted in all his profits being seized by the king [2]. It is thought [2] that the reason why the Archbishop decided to move to Tallaght was to be better protected against the invasion by Edward the Bruce, although it is not known if he attacked Swords Castle.
Located at the north end of the courtyard, the constables tower was added during a period of fortification after the 1450s [1]. It was the time of the Roses in Britain and, in the English-controlled area around Dublin know as the Pale, people were seeking protection [1]. Hence, the archbishop manorial residence was fortified with curtain walls and the tower [1]. Perhaps, the defence works were carried out by archbishop Richard Talbot, who led military expeditions against the Irish enemies, or by his successor Michael Tregury who received grants for repair to his castles [1]. Consequently, the archbishop's manor became known as Swords Castle [1]. The tower includes two chambers, next to which is a garderobe (or medieval toilet) [1].
In the 1500s, following the decline of the archbishop's properties, Swords Castle fell into ruin [1]. In 1583, Sir Henry Sydney, Lord Deputy of Ireland, placed forty Protestant families fleeing from persecution in the Low Countries into Swords Castle, who contributed to its repair [1].
During the 1641 Rebellion, Anglo-Irish Catholic families of the Pale assembled at the castle in order to join the rebellion but were attacked by Sir Charles Coote and about two hundred people were killed [2]. Perhaps, some burials found during recent excavations relate to these events [2].
The Cobbe family of Newbridge House, Donabate who bought Swords Castle after 1830, used the land for farming and planting an orchard [1].
Since the 1930s, Swords castle was under the care of the Office of Public Works (OPW), till 1985 when Dublin County Council (later Fingal County Council) purchased the castle [2].
The history of Swords Castle is not written till the end. Only in 1971, a decorated medieval tiled pavement was uncovered and recently, burials were discovered beneath the gatehouse, proving that there are still secrets hidden in this place [1].
Finally, a curiosity for those visitors who like movies: the renovated castle has been used as the location for the TV series The Tudors 2010 [2].
References
- [1] Fingal County Council, SWORDS CASTLE. The Archbishop's Palace
- [2] Wikiwand, Swords Castle
- [3] Ireland In Ruins, Swords Castle Co Dublin
