Trim Castle, Co. Meath: excavations 1995-8 by Alan Hayden

Monograph 6 in the Archaeological Monograph Series published by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (formerly (Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government)

Trim Castle, Co. Meath is the largest and finest of the Anglo-Norman stone castles built in Ireland. It is sited on a low hill on the southern bank of the River Boyne overlooking the early medieval river ford that gave the town its name.   

David Sweetman undertook the first archaeological excavations in the castle in 1971-4. The castle was finally purchased by the State in 1993 and conservation work was begun soon after. More extensive conservation works were planned in 1994 and required advance archaeological excavations. These excavations were undertaken in three seasons between 1995 and 1998 and are the subject of this volume.

After the completion of the recent excavation and conservation works the castle was reopened to the public in 2000 and today is one of the most visited sites in Co. Meath, attracting over 60,000 visitors annually.