Trim town is an adorable little town in Co. Meath. It is not only one of the tidiest towns in Ireland, but also famous for being the home of Trim Castle, Ireland's largest and oldest Norman castle.
The Normans used this castle entirely for defense purposes. Some royals lived there too, though. As with many historic structures, this castle was a symbol of Norman conquest over the Gaelic people back then. I will not go into the nitty-gritty historic details of the place as this is not a history site, but rather I will describe all that I saw and felt there.
This was my first time visiting a castle (apart from visiting Taj Mahal, which is not a mahal [palace] but a tomb). It was quite an experience, and I was trying to imagine how the people then would have lived. There was a guide who walked a group of us from the base of the castle to the top, telling us all about its history.
Now, the castle is in a complete state of ruin. It was constructed some 850 years ago, and coupled with the extremely frequent Irish rains, it is no surprise that algae and mould grow on its stones.
The Normans used this castle entirely for defense purposes. Some royals lived there too, though. As with many historic structures, this castle was a symbol of Norman conquest over the Gaelic people back then. I will not go into the nitty-gritty historic details of the place as this is not a history site, but rather I will describe all that I saw and felt there.
This was my first time visiting a castle (apart from visiting Taj Mahal, which is not a mahal [palace] but a tomb). It was quite an experience, and I was trying to imagine how the people then would have lived. There was a guide who walked a group of us from the base of the castle to the top, telling us all about its history.
Now, the castle is in a complete state of ruin. It was constructed some 850 years ago, and coupled with the extremely frequent Irish rains, it is no surprise that algae and mould grow on its stones.
Be careful when you go up and down the steps - they are pretty narrow. Don't even ask me what the people who inhabited the castle were thinking.
The rooms of the castle were squarish with high ceilings. On the ground floor of the castle they have now put up small wooden structures of the entire castle for us to examine. As you go from one floor to the next, your guide will explain the purposes of these rooms. One room was used as a prayer room, another as a bedroom, and so on.
When you reach the top of Trim castle, as expected, you will be delighted with breathtaking views of the surrounding scenery:
The rooms of the castle were squarish with high ceilings. On the ground floor of the castle they have now put up small wooden structures of the entire castle for us to examine. As you go from one floor to the next, your guide will explain the purposes of these rooms. One room was used as a prayer room, another as a bedroom, and so on.
When you reach the top of Trim castle, as expected, you will be delighted with breathtaking views of the surrounding scenery:
There is also a small fireplace that you will see on the ground floor of the castle, which was used to keep the entire structure warm:
Once you're done exploring the Trim castle complex, you can walk around Trim town. It's a beautiful place with lots of little shops where you can get gifts and other daily use items for real cheap. There are also cafes and restaurants.
September 2017