Medieval Roebuck Castle found hidden inside UCD's Victorian building

Key Points:

• University College Dublin professor Tadhg O'Keeffe discovered that substantial portions of the medieval Roebuck Castle still exist hidden within a Victorian-era building on the university campus, despite centuries of renovations.
• The original Roebuck Castle, built in the early 13th century, had fallen into ruin by the 18th century and was extensively altered, including a major Victorian makeover in 1874, before UCD purchased the property in 1986.
• O'Keeffe identified medieval features such as thick walls, a stone vault, arched stone roof, and splayed windows beneath Victorian plaster, estimating that 70-80% of the original castle structure remains intact.
• The castle's historical significance is notable, with well-documented ownership including prominent medieval figures and a brief residence by King James II, which is rare for castles in the Dublin area.
• The discovery highlights the potential for other presumed lost medieval castles in Ireland to survive within later buildings, emphasizing the importance of investigation and exploration rather than assuming such structures are gone.