id: ie-meath-trim-castle
name: Trim Castle
tradition: european_medieval
location:
  country: IE
  region: Leinster
  county: Meath
  locality: Trim
  lat: 53.5548
  lon: -6.7897
built:
  from: 1176
  to: 1224
condition: ruin
definitions_met:
  fortified_residence:
    verdict: 'yes'
    basis: 'The largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland: a genuine fortified private residence
      of a lord, with curtain wall, towers, gatehouses meant to be held, and a great keep
      serving as the lordly residence. Meets both halves of the criterion without strain.'
    assessment: assessed
  popular_castle:
    verdict: 'yes'
    basis: A major visitor attraction operated and signposted as a castle by the Office of
      Public Works.
  enclosure_fortification:
    verdict: 'no'
    basis: The curtain wall serves a lordly castle rather than standing as the primary work
      of an undefended-lordship enclosure.
  palatial_seat:
    verdict: 'no'
    basis: No palatial phase; it decayed rather than being rebuilt as a residence.
  state_fortification:
    verdict: 'no'
    basis: Seigneurial rather than state construction, built by Hugh de Lacy as lord of Meath.
  revival_folly:
    verdict: 'no'
    basis: A genuine medieval build, not a post-defensive-era romantic one.
register_entries:
- register: ie-smr
  ref: ME036-048004-
  designation: Castle - Anglo-Norman masonry castle
disputed: false
first_seen: '2026-07-21'
last_updated: '2026-07-21'
confidence: high
sources:
- url: https://www.archaeology.ie/collections-and-publications/open-data/
  title: Archaeological Survey of Ireland - open data
  publisher: National Monuments Service
  date: '2026-07-21'
- url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trim_Castle
  title: Trim Castle
  publisher: Wikipedia
notes: 'One of the 129 SMR records classed ''Castle - Anglo-Norman masonry castle'' - the
  strictest of Ireland''s three answers to how many castles it has. SMR reference CORRECTED
  on 2026-07-21 from a hand-entered ME036-021 to the register''s actual ME036-048004-, found
  when the bulk import created a second record for this castle under its register townland
  (Manorland). The founding caveat that hand-entered register refs needed verification was
  justified: this one was wrong.'