Trim Castle

This is the stuff movies are made of. It’s no wonder that the makers of the movie ‘Braveheart’ chose Trim in County Meath as the shooting location for their epic thriller. One look at Trim Castle’s stony outline against a dramatic Irish sky and storybook images of valiant warriors and timid monks spring to life.

In Medieval times, Trim Castle stood like an imposing stone sentinel and powerful symbol of norman strength at the edge of the Pale, the small area of Anglo-Norman influence on Ireland’s eastern coast. To go beyond the Pale was to enter the hostile world of the Gaelic Irish. Here at the edge, the two sides would have met - in conflict and in battle.

Trim Castle, the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland, was constructed over a thirty-year period by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter. Hugh de Lacy was granted the Liberty of Meath by King Henry II in 1172 in an attempt to curb the expansionist policies of Richard de Clare, (Strongbow).  Construction of the massive three storied Keep, the central stronghold of the castle, was begun c. 1176 on the site of an earlier wooden fortress. This massive twenty-sided tower, which is cruciform in shape, was protected by a ditch, curtain wall and moat. 

Trim Castle
Built by Hugh de Lacy in 1173, this is the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland.

Location
Trim Town

Opening Times

Easter-End September: 10am-6pm, Last Tour 5pm
October-November: 10am-5.30pm, Last Tour 4.30pm
November-Easter: (Open Weekend Only) 10.00-17.00, Last Tour 4.00pm
Admission charge- Guided tours only.

Access for visitors with disabilities is very restricted.  Please note that some of the stairs in the keep are very steep and narrow.  The keep is not accessible for visitors with disabilities and there is restricted access to the grounds only.  There are interpretation panels in the grounds of the castle which allow for self-guiding.

Admission Fees
Adult: €3.70
Sen/Group: €2.60
Child/Student: €1.30
Family: €8.70

Contact

Address: Trim, Co Meath.  
Telephone No: +353 46 943 8619 
Fax No: +353 46 943 8618
Email: trimcastle@opw.ie
Website:www.heritageireland.ie

Closed the weekend before Christmas
Closed the weekend before New Year's Day

Last admission 1 hour before closing.
Please note that all groups must be pre-booked.

Other Attractions

Trim Visitor Centre
“The Power and the Glory”
AV presentation 046 943 7227

The Newtown Monuments
Cathedral of SS Peter & Paul
Friary of St. John the Baptist
Talbot Castle (St. Mary’s Abbey) and the Yellow Steeple