Ireland, 2023 – A Day trip to Medieval Trim

May 31, 2023

On my second full day in Dublin I chose to do a day trip to Trim, about one hour northwest of Dublin by bus. Public transit is fantastic in Ireland and buses can take you to even the smallest of towns, with no left-side-of-the-road driving needed! Prices are very reasonable and, best of all, you can sit back, relax, and watch the scenery roll by. I sat in the front row on the top deck of the Bus Eireen double-decker and had a great view of Dublin streets and then suburban streets for about half of the trip, and then gorgeous rolling countryside and farmland for the second half. Then we arrived in Trim, a small town with impressive medieval ruins all situated along the scenic Boyne River.

This was my view, five minutes from the bus stop, on a riverside trail, of Trim Castle which is the largest and best preserved Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. It is also central to the history of Ireland as it was the stronghold of Hugh de Lacy, leader of the first invading force to occupy Irish land.

And this is my first view, some five minutes later, of two other medieval ruins, this time on my side of the river. The tall structure is known as the Yellow Steeple and was the bell tower for the Augustinian Abbey of St. Mary. Built in 1368 after the original tower burnt down, and largely destroyed by Cromwellian forces in 1649, it is believed to be tallest medieval building still standing in Ireland. The smaller structure is the Sheep’s Gate which was built in the 13th century as one of five gates in the town’s defensive walls. It was known as the Sheep’s Gate because farmers’ sheep and other livestock were counted as they came into the town in order to calculate tolls and the taxes owed.

A few minutes later, as I crossed over the Boyne River on a pedestrian bridge, I stopped and had this view of “Ireland’s Oldest Bridge”. In use since 1393, it is the oldest complete and unaltered working bridge still in use in Ireland. That is 670 years of use and cars were passing over it!

This is the west gate of the castle, backlit by the morning sun. Entrance to the grounds is free and the cost of the excellent and highly recommended (by me) guided tour inside the massive keep is a very reasonable five Euros.

I had time to walk around the grounds before my tour and I circled the large stone keep which was built in a square shape, with four square towers on each of the four sides (the north tower has fallen away). It was an unusual design and is the only known example of a twenty-sided Anglo-Norman castle.

This is a view from east of the keep and across to the western gate. The construction of the stone castle began in 1175 and was completed, with a series of modifications, by the year 1220.

And here is a view of the defensive southern gate, and of me inside its doorway.

This view is from the west. The castle tour will take me to a walkway at the top that enables viewing from all four sides of the central square.

Our tour guide, Valerie, was incredibly knowledgeable and adept at summarizing the long and complex history and social and political significance of this castle. On the first floor were models that showed the three main phases of construction that took place, and then we climbed the original spiral staircases to rise to the level of the second and then the third floors. We learned the function of various rooms and the way of life of the people who inhabited the castles in medieval times. The centre right photo is of the oratory where the family’s priest would have said mass. Clues to its use are the large east-facing window and the double recesses that contain carved stone basins for holding holy water.

Then we were at the top of the castle with views in all directions. The Hill of Tara, where the High Kings of Ireland were traditionally crowned, was just visible as a small bump on the horizon to the northeast.

The large building in the centre of the next photo is of Talbot Castle, a fortified manor house which was built in 1415 on the site of St. Mary’s Abbey. Now a private residence, it operated as a school in the 18th and 19th centuries and the Duke of Wellington was educated there.

From the castle, I walked back across the river and up to the Yellow Steeple where a worker was now clearing plants off of the structure. The truck and the figure of the man help to show the tower’s impressive height.

There were fabulous views of the castle from the tower,

and again from the Sheep’s Gate.

I returned to the river and began to stroll downstream to view more medieval ruins at Newtown. It was such a beautiful afternoon and the riverside path was being enjoyed by dog walkers, families, and other pedestrians. Everyone seemed very happy!

I couldn’t resist taking one more photo of the castle when I passed by a cluster of yellow flag iris growing by the river.

And then, believe it or not, this amazing meadow was medieval in origin too!

Known as the Porchfield, this expanse of meadowland was granted to the Burgesses of Trim by Walter de Lacy in 1194 to use for cultivation and pasture. Later, in 1449, the Duke of York, who was then the Governor of Trim, granted the land to St. Mary’s Abbey. As I walked along the riverside path, interpretive panels complete with historical illustrations and maps provided information on aspects of medieval life in Trim and Newtown.

I reached the ruins of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cathedral which was founded by Simon de Rochfort in 1206 who chose this site near Trim Castle after his cathedral at Clonard was attacked by the native Irish.

The ruins are surrounded by large yew trees and a graveyard with many Celtic crosses.

Just past the cathedral ruins are the remains of a smaller parish church and they feature, near the altar, the carved stone tomb with effigies of the “Jealous Man and Woman”.

From here I walked to a pleasant riverside coffee shop, Marcie’s, where I stopped for a light lunch and a rest, and then I crossed over the Boyne River on a one-lane arched stone bridge to visit the Priory of St. John the Baptist. The ruins here date from the 13th to the 17th centuries and are the remains of a hospital founded in the 13th century by the Crutched Friars who were Augustinian monks dedicated to treating the sick. I had the entire ruins all to myself.

I was so glad to have made this visit to the historic town of Trim! I took my time walking back along the riverside trail, and I had a little lie down in the meadow while I waited for my bus back to Dublin. After that quiet hour-long ride, I arrived in a very busy and crowded Dublin that was ready to party! It was the start of a long weekend and I had to really wake myself up for the walk back along and across busy streets to my accommodation.

It was all rather exciting, but tomorrow was going to be a “Dublin Day” for me, and today I wanted to cling to memories of that meadow and the river and those silent ruins so I made my way to St. Kevin’s Park which was nearly empty of people. I had a peaceful dinner there, on a bench beside the wall of roses, with the tall blue cranes beyond the wall silent and still.