View source for King John's Castle (Limerick)

{{Short description|13th century castle in Limerick, Ireland}}
{{Other places|King John's Castle (disambiguation){{!}}King John's Castle}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Use Irish English|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox military installation
|name=King John's Castle / Limerick Castle
|native_name={{lang|ga|Caisleán Luimnigh}}
|location=[[Limerick]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
|map_type=Ireland
|map_alt=Location in Ireland
|coordinates = {{coord|52.669722|-8.625556|type:landmark|display=inline}}
|image=[[File:King John's Castle in Limerick.jpg|King John's Castle in 2007.|300px]]
|caption=View of King John's Castle from the [[River Shannon]].
|type=[[Medieval castle]]
|built=c. 1210
|builder=[[John, King of England|King John of England]]
|height=
|used=
|demolished=
|condition= 
|ownership= 
|controlledby=
|garrison=
|commanders=
|occupants=
|battles=
|events=[[Siege of Limerick (1642)]]<br />
[[Siege of Limerick (1650–51)]]<br />
[[Siege of Limerick (1690)]]<br />
[[Siege of Limerick (1691)]]<br />
[[Siege of Limerick (1922)]]
}}
[[File:King John's Castle in Limerick (1).jpg|thumb|Castle courtyard]]

'''King John's Castle''' ({{langx|ga|Caisleán Luimnigh}}) also known as '''Limerick Castle''' is a 13th-century castle located on [[King's Island, Limerick|King's Island]] in [[Limerick]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], next to the [[River Shannon]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.heritageisland.com/attractions/king-john-s-castle/ | title=Ireland's Visitor Attractions - King John's Castle | publisher=Heritage Ireland | access-date=12 October 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Although the site dates back to 922 when the Vikings lived on the Island, the castle itself was built on the orders of [[John of England|King John]] of England in 1200. Some of the external walls, towers and fortifications remain, and the site is open for visitors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://limerickslife.com/limerick-castle/|title=Images of Limerick Castle through the centuries|date=28 May 2013}}</ref> The remains of a [[Viking]] settlement were uncovered during archaeological excavations at the site in 1900.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.discoveringireland.com/vacations/king-johns-castle/ | title=800 years of history | publisher=Discovering Ireland | access-date=13 October 2013}}</ref>

The castle experienced five sieges during the 17th century. The walls were severely damaged during the [[Siege of Limerick 1642|1642 siege]] when the castle was occupied by Protestants fleeing the [[Irish Rebellion of 1641]] and was besieged by an Irish Confederate force under [[Garret Barry (soldier)|Garret Barry]]. 

Between 2011 and 2013, the castle underwent a €5.7 million redevelopment to improve the visitor facilities of the castle. Among the improvements were a modern visitor centre, interactive exhibitions with computer generated animations, and a cafe.

==Viking settlement==
{{Unsourced section|date=August 2024}}
The [[Viking]] sea-king, [[Tomrair mac Ailchi]], built the first permanent Viking stronghold on Inis Sibhtonn ([[King's Island, Limerick|King's Island]]) in 922. He used the base to raid the length of the [[River Shannon]] from [[Lough Derg (Shannon)|Lough Derg]] to [[Lough Ree]], pillaging ecclesiastical settlements. In 937 the Limerick Vikings clashed with those of [[Dublin]] on Lough Ree and were defeated. In 943 they were defeated again when the chief of the local Dalcassian clan joined with Ceallachán, king of [[Munster]] and the Limerick Vikings were forced to pay tribute to the clans. The power of the Vikings never recovered, and they were reduced to the level of a minor clan, however often playing pivotal parts in the endless power struggles of the next few centuries.

[[Domnall Mór Ua Briain]] burned the settlement to the ground in 1174 in a bid to keep it from the hands of the Anglo-Normans. After he died in 1194, the Anglo-Normans captured the area in 1195 under [[John, King of England|John]], [[Lord of Ireland]]. In 1197, Limerick was given its first [[City Charter|charter]] and its first mayor, Adam Sarvant, by [[Richard I of England]]. 

==Early history==
[[File:LimerickCity KingJohnsCastle 2010.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|King John's Castle on the [[River Shannon]]]]

A castle, built on the orders of King John and bearing his name, was completed around 1210. The castle was built on the boundary of the River Shannon in order to protect the city from the Gaelic kingdoms to the west and from any rebellion by Norman lords to the east and south.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} Under the general peace imposed by the Norman rule, Limerick prospered as both a port and a trading centre, partly due to the castle acting as a watchdog on any cargo passing through the port of Limerick.<ref name="Castle History">{{cite web | url=http://resources.teachnet.ie/mmorrin/castle/history.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014172652/http://resources.teachnet.ie/mmorrin/castle/history.htm | title=Castle History | publisher=teachnet.ie | access-date=13 October 2013 | archive-date=14 October 2013}}</ref> By this time the city was divided into an area known as "English Town" on King's Island, while another settlement, named "Irish Town", had grown on the south bank of the river. The town of Limerick became so wealthy during this era that King John set up a mint in the North West corner of the castle, with pennies and half pennies from this time available to see in Limerick museum today.<ref name="Castle History"/> A 1574 document prepared for the Spanish ambassador attests to its wealth:

{{Quote|''Limerick is stronger and more beautiful than all the other cities of Ireland, well walled with stout walls of hewn marble... There is no entrance except by stone bridges, one of the two of which has 14 arches, and the other 8 ... for the most part the houses are of square stone of black marble and built in the form of towers and fortresses.''<ref>Ronan, Myles V. 1930. ''The Reformation in Ireland Under Elizabeth, 1558-1580''. Longmans, Green and Company. p. 483.</ref>}}

[[Luke Gernon]], an English-born judge and resident of Limerick, wrote an equally flattering account of the city in 1620:
{{Quote|a lofty building of marble; in the high street it is built from one gate to the other in one form, like the colleges in [[Oxford]], so magnificent that at my first entrance it did amaze me".<ref>Gernon, Luke   ''A Discourse of Ireland'' 1620 edited by C.L. Falkiner 1904</ref>}}

==Siege of Limerick==
The walls of the castle were severely damaged in the [[Siege of Limerick 1642|1642 Siege of Limerick]], the first of five sieges of the city in the 17th century. In 1642, the castle was occupied by Protestants fleeing the [[Irish Rebellion of 1641]] and was besieged by an Irish Confederate force under [[Garret Barry (soldier)|Garret Barry]]. Barry had no siege artillery so he undermined the walls of King John's Castle by digging away their foundations. Those inside surrendered just before Barry collapsed the walls. However, such was the damage done to the wall's foundations that a section of them had to be pulled down afterward.{{fact|date=December 2021}}

==2014 Redevelopment==
Between 2011 and 2014, the castle underwent a massive redevelopment, with €5.7 million spent to improve the visitor facilities of the castle. Among the improvements were a brand new visitor centre, interactive exhibitions with computer generated animations, and a cafe with views onto the courtyard and the river.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.shannonheritage.com/KingJohnsCastle/ | title=King John's Castle | publisher=Shannon Heritage | access-date=12 October 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[History of Limerick|History of Limerick City]]
*[[Limerick City Museum]], just to the south

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|King John's Castle (Limerick)}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110130195913/http://www.shannonheritage.com/Attractions/KingJohnsCastle/ Shannon Heritage site]
*[http://www.limerick.ie/sites/default/files/Constables.pdf List of constables of the castle]

{{Limerick}}
{{Historic Irish houses}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Museums with year of establishment missing]]
[[Category:Castles in County Limerick]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Limerick (city)]]
[[Category:National monuments in County Limerick]]
[[Category:Historic house museums in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Museums in County Limerick]]
[[Category:Military and war museums in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:John, King of England]]
[[Category:Norman castles]]
[[Category:Norman architecture in Ireland]]