Dublin Castle was the centre of British Rule in Ireland from 1800 until 1922 when a treaty was signed between Ireland and England that handed Ireland back to the Irish except for the 6 counties that now form Northern Ireland. Although a castle did stand on the site that dates back to the 12th Century, much of the building today dates from the 18th Century.

In a historical sense the Castle has served in a number of guises over its history, from the seat of the Lordship of Ireland (1171