have almost entirely disappeared; but the original Norman work, from its massive character, was not easily destroyed, and a great part of it still remains; the walls of the keep are perfect, and are eight feet thick; the ground floor is divided by a wall into two large vaulted chambers, with the entrances at one corner. The first floor is also divided into two large rooms, which have been the chief apartments, and are very fine lofty rooms, with others smaller and lower over them, and small chambers in the side-walls, eight feet six inches long, by four feet ten inches wide. The principal entrance was on the first floor from outworks now destroyed. There are also a gatehouse of the twelfth century tolerably perfect, and a large corner tower of the thirteenth; these have been connected by a range of buildings now destroyed. At the back of the corner tower are remains of another range of buildings, with three large round arches of wide span, which probably carried the vaults of this wing of the castle; but, being now left standing alone, they have a singular effect. Another oblong tower of the fifteenth century, now used as a belfry to the chapel, was also part of the castle, and serves to show its great extent. The doorway to the corner tower of the thirteenth century is built after the usual Irish fashion, wider at the bottom than at the top, with sloping sides, and a flat lintel. Much credit is due to the Duke of Leinster for the care which is now taken of these ruins.
That even this great castle, one of the largest and strongest in Ireland, was not merely a military fortress, but also the usual habitation of a great family, there is abundant evidence, into which it is not necessary to cuter in detail; a reference to the amusing account of the siege in the time of Henry VIII., given by Holinshed in his Chronicle, will suffice.[1]
Trim Castle is chiefly of the twelfth century, and the keep is on a very singular plan, which may be called cruciform There is a square central tower of considerable size, measuring sixty-four feet on each side and sixty feet in height, with a smaller square tower attached to the centre of each side, and a turret on each angle of the main building, sixteen feet high above the top of it. This large building is divided into two parts by a wall down the middle of it; there have
- ↑ "Great and rich was the spoile, such store of beddes, so many goodly hangings, so rich a wardrob, such braue furniture, as truly it was accompted for housholde stuffe and vtensiles one of the richest earle his houses vnder the Crowne of Englande." The account of the siege, sent to the King by the Lord Deputy, Sir William Skeffington, confirms this. It appears that the garrison consisted of little more than 100 able men. "Ther was within the same above 100 habill men, wherof were above 60 gunners." Of this garrison, 60 were killed in the assault, and 37 taken prisoners; and 26 of them were executed two days afterwards, after being tried by a court martial.—State Papers of Henry VIII. vol. ii. p. 236.
