Dunsany Castle and Demesne

53°32′08″N 06°37′15″W / 53.53556°N 6.62083°W / 53.53556; -6.62083

Frontage of Dunsany Castle

Dunsany Castle (Irish: Caisleán Dhún Samhnaí), Dunsany, County Meath, Ireland, is a modernised Anglo-Norman castle,[1] started c. 1180 / 1181 by Hugh de Lacy, who also commissioned the original Killeen Castle, nearby, and the famous Trim Castle. It is one of Ireland's oldest homes in continuous occupation, possibly the longest occupied by a single family, having been held by the Cusack family and their descendants by marriage, the Plunketts, from foundation to the present day.[2] The castle is surrounded by its demesne, the inner part of the formerly extensive Dunsany estate. The demesne holds a historic church, a walled garden, a stone farm complex, and an ice house, among other features, and is home to a wide range of fauna.[2][3]

  1. ^ Moore, Michael (6 December 2012). "ME01681 – Dunsany – Castle – Anglo-Norman masonry castle". Meath Heritage. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Dunsany Castle Demesne Architectural Conservation Area". Meath County Council. Meath County Council. Retrieved 23 August 2020. probably the oldest one in Ireland associated with a single family ... provides a microcosmic insight to the changing tastes and fashions of country house owners from the beginning of such houses right down to the present day.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference StoryDunsCstle was invoked but never defined (see the help page).