Situated on the banks of the River Lee in Ireland, Blackrock Castle is a castellated fortification about two kilometers from the heart of Cork. Originally constructed in the sixteenth century as a coastal defense fortress to guard the port and upper Cork Harbour, the location today has a restaurant, visitor center and an observatory. In order to guard against pirates and other invaders, the people of Cork pleaded with Queen Elizabeth I to build a fort at Blackrock in the late 16th century. To protect against pirates from entering the harbour and carrying away vessels, a fortification was built there around 1582, and a round tower was added in 1600. A round tower on the edge of the water is the earliest remnant of this structure. After James I granted the city a charter in 1608, Blackrock Castle became the property of the City of Cork. The Cork Council Book from 1613 and 1614 makes reference to the fortress. After a fire destroyed the previous four-story tower in 1722, the citizens constructed a new one at a cost of £296. In 1827, the castle caught fire after a supper. Mayor Thomas Dunscombe oversaw the rebuilding, which started in 1828 and was finished in March 1829. The architects reconstructed the out-buildings and added three more stories to the old tower. After coming into private ownership, the castle served as a restaurant, offices, rowing club headquarters, and private residence for a while in the 20th century. After Cork Corporation reacquired the building in 2001, renovations and repurposing of the facility as an observatory and museum began. Additionally, Cork Institute of Technology astronomers work in the castle-labs. #History#Architecture#Castles
[Image: 16th Century Blackrock Castle with Observatory; Image-Author: Liudmyla Shalimova] [Image_Source-Link: https://www.pexels.com/photo/16th-century-blackrock-castle-with-observatory-18996928/ ]
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