The Rise and Fall of Carrickmines Castle

When creating episodes I normally try to tell wider events in Irish history by focusing on the lives of an individual person. This podcast takes a different approach. I interview Dr Mark Clinton about the history of one specific place – Carrickmines Castle. Mark lead the excavations that unearthed the ruins of the castle destroyed in the 17th century.

By focusing on this castle we were able to have a wide ranging conversation that covers centuries of history. We began with the Norman Invasion, made our way through the origins of sectarian tensions in Ireland before looking at a brutal siege and massacre during the 1640s. Then we finally finished by looking at the destruction of archaeological sites in Ireland in the 21st Century.