UCD researcher finds medieval castle hidden on campus
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Tadhg O’Keefe, a researcher at University College Dublin, discovered remains of a 13th-century Norman castle within the walls of a later building on the UCD campus in Dublin, Ireland.
O’Keefe determined that the medieval Roebuck castle was not demolished during renovations as previously believed, but instead incorporated into the structure of the current Roebuck Castle. Historical records suggest the original castle was built soon after the Norman invasion of 1169 and underwent changes throughout the Middle Ages.
The researcher used a watercolour painting from around 1765 by Gabriel Beranger, a Dutch-born artist living in Dublin, to understand the castle’s original structure and confirm the survival of medieval elements. O’Keefe noted that many similar castles were torn down for their building materials, making this discovery particularly fortunate. O’Keefe believes UCD now possesses the oldest standing building on any Irish university campus.
He plans to conduct further archaeological research to pinpoint the castle’s exact construction date, but is confident the oldest parts date to the early 13th century. He hopes preserving this structure will help fill gaps in the historical record.
