The current building was designed by James Stewart and William Chambers and is believed to have been built around 1583 for Adam Loftus, then Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Originally a fortified and embattled structure, extensive alterations in the Eighteenth Century carried out in a Grecian style of architecture give it the appearance of a modern house.
Civil War
Archbishop Loftus left the castle to his son, Dudley and it then passed to his son Adam in 1616. During Adam's ownership, the castle came under siege in the 1641 rebellion. Adam opposed the treaty of cessation in order the stop the fighting between the Irish Confederates and the Royalists. As a result he was imprisoned in Dublin Castle.
During the subsequent Irish Confederate Wars (1641-53), the castle changed hands several times. From 1641 to 1647, it was garrisoned by English Royalist troops. In 1647, Ormonde, commander of the Royalists in Ireland, surrendered Dublin to the English Parliament and Parlimentary troops were stationed at the castle. The castle surrendered without a fight to Confederate and Royalist troops in 1649, before the battle of Rathmines but the Roundheads re-occupied it after their victory in that battle. It has also been reported that Oliver Cromwell held council there during his campaign in Ireland before going south to besiege Wexford. Adam Loftus sided with the Parliamentarians and was killed at the siege of Limerick in 1651.
After the English Civil War, the Loftus family retained ownership of the castle. In 1659, Dr. Dudley Loftus, great grandson of Archbishop Lofus, took over the castle. During his lifetime, Dudley held the posts of Commissioner of Revenue, Judge Admirality, Master in Chancery, M.P for Kildare and Wicklow and M.P for Bannow and Fethard. His body is interred at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
New Ownership
The castle was passed down the centuries to the descendants of Dr. Dudley Loftus until it came into the hands of Philip Wharton. The young man spent his inheritance recklessly and in 1724, the castle was sold to William Connolly. Connolly was a famous politician and an excellent speaker in the House of Commons. Connolly is the one who was responsible for the building of the Hell Fire Club.
Rathfarnham Castle remained in the hands of the Connolly family until 1742 where it was then sold to Bishop Hoadley. It stayed in his family until 1763 where the Lofus family regained ownership. The Loftus family constructed another entrance for the castle in the form of a Roman Triumphal Arch. From nearby Dodder Park Road, one can still view the arch.
In 1812, the Loftus family left the castle for the last time and they moved to Loftus Hall, Wexford. The castle then went through many families such as the Ropers (1812-1852) and the Blackburn family (1852-1912). When the property developers Bailey & Gibson acquired the castle in 1912, they used large tracts of its surrounding land for construction and they also built a golf course.
In 1913, the Jesuits bought the castle and the remaining land. The Jesuits are an order renowned for their education and one of them, Father O'Leary S.J constructed a seismograph. This machine could detect earth tremors and earthquakes from anywhere in the world and for a time, Rathfarnham Castle became a source of earthquake information for the national media.
Preservation
The castle was sold to Delaware Properties in 1985 and it was believed that the castle was facing demolition. After immense public pressure to save the building, the state purchased it in 1987. At the moment, the castle is going through extensive refurbishment but it is still open to the public during the summer months.
One of the most chilling stories about Rathfarnham Castle is that of the skeleton of a woman found in one of the hollow walls on the middle floor in 1880. It is ascertained that she was there for over 130 years. It is believed that she was locked into a secret compartment in one of the rooms during a ball. Two suitors were arguing over her love and they decided to sort out their differences by way of a duel. The victor would then rescue the fair maiden from the wall. But as it happened, both died - one from drowning and the other from his wounds. The whole affair was conducted in secret so the beautiful maiden was left there entombed in the wall, where she died.
Rathfarnham Castle (Dublin) The date of the foundation of the Castle is uncertain, but recent research would suggest 1583 as the most likely date. It was built by Adam Loftus, a Yorkshireman. The Castle has a colourful and interesting history with 18th century interiors by Sir William Chambers and James Athenian Stuart and was declared a National Monument in the mid-1980s. The Castle is presented to visitors as a castle undergoing active conservation. The visitor can see, at first hand, tantalizing glimpses of layers of the Castles earlier existence uncovered during research. (Conservation works are ongoing at the site).
Admission Charges: F Adult: EUR 2.00 Group & Senior Citizen: EUR 1.25 Child/Student: EUR 1.00 Family Rate: EUR 5.50
