Ireland is replete with ruined castles. It's the first thing that many visitors (particularly Americans and Australians...200 years of history? Pah!) comment on, and something we Irish tend to take for granted. Monkstown Castle is one such place. Randomly perched on the edge of a roundabout, opposite CBC and next to the tennis club, most people don't even bother giving it a second look (except those wily teenagers always on the lookout for a good drinking spot). Apparently, however, it dates from the 12th/13th century, which makes it pretty frickin' old. And it is just kind of cool to have that history dotted around the landscape of a suburb. Of course, that could just be me... read more