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The ruins at Baldongan are all that is left
of a large castle and church. The castle was built
around a large quadrangular (four sided) court.
The castle had four square towers at each corner.
The church was adjoining the castle. Originally
the Knights Templar built this fortress in the
13th century on the site of an ancient dún (fort).
The knights Templar were a semi-military religious
order, founded in 1119. They took vows of poverty,
chastity and obedience and devoted themselves
to the recovery of Palestine from the Saracens.
They played an important part in the Crusades
of the 12th. and 13th. centuries. As time went
by the order accumulated enormous wealth. This
wealth aroused the jealousy of King Philip IV
of France, who arranged for charges of heresy
to be brought against the order. In 1307 the Pope
suppressed the order. At the beginning of the
16th century the castle became the property of
the De Birmingham family. Ownership eventually
passed to the Lord of Howth through marriage.
Later it came to be owned by the Barnwells, an
old Norman family that has been associated with
Fingal for many centuries. Finally, in 1642, the
confederates held it. The confederates were a
loose federation of many elements in Irish life
that found common cause against the parliamentary
forces of Cromwell. In June 1642 Colonel Trafford
and his Parliamentary forces besieged the castle.
It was destroyed by artillery and gunpowder and
the entire garrison of 200 were put to death.
Two priests, who were among the defenders of the
castle, were examined on the rack and afterwards
deported to France. The Parliamentary forces left
it in a ruinous condition and time and weather
have all but completed its destruction. Close
to the ruins at Baldongan is a field known as
the "Nuns' Stood", where nuns from Baldongan are
said to have stood and look back on the destruction
of the castle.
The shelling supposedly originated from troops
stationed at Cromwell's bush, a thorn tree in
a hedge in Balcunnin. Another story concerning
this bush is that Cromwell slept under it on his
way to Drogheda. Other stories claim that Cromwell
bombarded Baldongan from the sea, two miles away,
and that he fired shots at Lusk round tower, blowing
the top off. Cromwell has been blamed for more
evil deeds in Ireland than he would have had time
to do. In addition there is no record that nuns
were ever at Baldongan.
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