Trim Castle - Neath - Ireland

On a recent visit to Trim in Neath, Ireland, we visited Trim Castle, where the film Braveheart starring Mel Gibson was made in 1994. Many of the `extras` for the film were local Irish residents.

The castle is the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland, constructed by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter over a 30 year period. Known as a `defensive` castle it was built not so much to protect the local inhabitants - more to keep them under control.

The Keep, which is shown here, is a massive 3 stories high, and was begun around 1176 on the site of an earlier wooden fortress. The grounds are accessible to all, but the Keep is only by guided tour for safety reasons.