When King Writes

I am so excited to finally write about our Ireland adventures! When I told my friends and family where we were headed next, a lot of them looked at me like I was out of my mind. 🤣

They said Ireland tends to appeal more to older travelers looking for relaxed, cultural experiences rather than adrenaline-filled ones (which, for an adrenaline junkie like me, felt like an odd match). Most people associate Ireland with slower-paced trips—things like scenic drives, cozy pubs, heritage tours, and visits to castles and gardens.

But let me tell you, Ireland ended up being one of the best European trips we’ve ever taken! As young adults always chasing nonstop thrills, this journey was such a refreshing change. I appreciated the countryside and all the beauty it has to offer even more, and I have zero regrets about spending weeks exploring the country from end to end.

Since this is the start of my Ireland blog series, I’m kicking things off with our visit to Trim Castle, one of the first historic spots you can hit on the way from Dublin to Belfast.

My apologies in advance for the lack of “nice” photos—you’ll soon find out why. 

But first… a word

Some people assume all of Ireland is part of the U.K. That’s not quite right.

Northern Ireland is the part that falls under the United Kingdom. The rest of the island is the Republic of Ireland, a separate, independent country.

Why does this matter? Well, if you need visas, you’ll need two—one for the Republic of Ireland and another for the U.K. The applications, payments, and approval processes are completely separate. And getting approved for one does not mean you’ll automatically get the other.

The currencies are different too. The Republic of Ireland uses euros, while Northern Ireland uses British pounds. But some stores and restaurants let you choose what currency to pay with when you use a credit card ($, €, or £).

Other than those two very important things—visas and currency—there is not much difference between the two regions at first glance.

Once you spend a little time traveling around, the subtle differences start to show themselves. On the surface, you’ll see the same green hills, friendly locals, and cozy pubs. But dig a little deeper and you’ll notice that history, politics, and even cultural identity shape the two regions in very different ways.

Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself. That’s an entirely different story that deserves a full-term history class, though hopefully I get to share bits and pieces of what I learned about Ireland’s struggles throughout this series.

For now, let’s go back to regular programming! Come with me as I reminisce about our visit to Trim Castle, the largest Anglo-Norman fortification in Ireland.

Trim Castle

You might recognize Trim Castle from Mel Gibson’s Brave Heart (1995). Gibson needed a convincing medieval backdrop for York Castle, but filming in England wasn’t the most practical nor affordable. So, they searched high and low for a cheaper yet equally stunning alternative, and ultimately found Trim Castle in Ireland. 

Most likely because of Braveheart, Trim Castle’s profile skyrocketed and tourists from all over began flocking.

Today, the grounds are open for self-guided tours, although access to the keep requires a guided tour for safety reasons. The guided tour only takes about an hour, which makes it a perfect stopover if you’re driving from Dublin to Belfast.

Here’s a Google Map for your reference:

By the way, speaking of safety reasons. Let’s talk about that for a second. The hallways are super narrow and most of the upper floors don’t have super secure railings, so it’s very easy to fall. For this reason, taking photos inside the keep are off-limits for most of the tour.

We were, however, allowed to take photos of the 3D castle model on the ground floor:

I learned…

We really enjoyed the guided tour, but I won’t spoil everything. I’ll just share a few tidbits that stuck with me:

Like most fortifications of its time, Trim Castle’s design was all about defense, not just for aesthetic purposes. The windows were spaced apart the way they were so archers can easily protect the castle and shoot at intruders from different angles.

I also learned that narrow stairs in castles are strategically designed. They made it so that right-handed swordsmen (which was the norm back then) would find it very difficult to fight climbing up, while the protectors on their way down to meet the intruders could easily tackle them.

And then there was the castle life itself. Even though they had a dedicated space that functioned as a lavatory, there was no hygienic system to clean the waste. Basically everything just dropped from the upper floors to the ground level, where someone had the thankless job of scooping it up. 💩

Also, most of the people in the castle did not bathe for like… almost a year?! And when they finally did, they shared the same tub of water, without soap, until it turned murky enough to make you want to skip your turn entirely. 😭

Anyway, I’ll stop there and let you discover the rest when you visit. I just want to say that while writing this portion, I couldn’t help but feel thankful for the sewage system and our very easy, almost effortless, access to hygiene.

Considerations

Overall, I really liked the tour because the keep was compact, which makes it an easy first tour when easing into your Ireland trip. It wasn’t overwhelming but left just enough mystery to fuel our curiosity for more adventures. 😊

After the tour, we had free rein to wander the castle grounds (though take note: no drones allowed 😅).

Lastly, please keep in mind Trim Castle is not wheelchair accessible. The keep and upper floors are filled with steep, narrow staircases that make access impossible. When we visited, another group chose to skip the guided tour because one of their members was in a wheelchair.

That’s it for this short piece! Thanks for joining me on this first chapter of my Ireland series. 🌈 I can’t wait to share the rest of our adventures with you.