Dublin Castle was the headquarters of British rule in Ireland, both literal and symbolic. There, the Viceroy, chief representative of the Crown in Ireland, presided, a conduit and image of power. Around him gathered a privileged elite who represented the apex of Irish high society for over two hundred years. Their colourful lives, roles and rituals lent shape to what became known as the Viceregal Court.
Champagne & Silver Bucklesexamines the social and ceremonial life of that court, and looks at the individuals who performed at the Castle from the onset of English administration after the Williamite wars, up until the transfer of power to Michael Collins and the government of the Irish Free State in 1922: ‘No trumpets, no liveried courtiers, no drinks on the sideboard: having withstood the attacks of successive generations of Irish rebels over seven centuries, Dublin Castle was quietly handed over to eight gentlemen in three taxicabs.
