Analysis Of King John's Castle Carlingford

Introduction
The monument I have chosen to survey is King John’s Castle, Carlingford. I choose this monument as I am extremely interested in the 12th century, which was the year King John founded the castle. Another factor that interests me is that it is suggested by many people that the first few pages of the Magna Carta, which was the world’s first constitutional bill of rights, was drafted while King John was in the castle in Carlingford. I find this to be a particularly important historical event which led me to want to research this monument in detail. Lastly, I find this monument very appealing as it is situated in the Carlingford bay. Therefore, with its breath taking view and wonderful scenery how could you not want to visit and survey
Raiding monasteries and towns all over the country. Even though the Irish were victorious at the Battle of Clontarf, small amounts of Vikings still stayed in Ireland, although their aim to take over Ireland was now no longer a threat. The Vikings were now settling into the Irish way of life and they were now disinterested in invading the country. The Medieval Period in Ireland shows centuries of change and reform. This period also brought changes to Pagan Ireland’s culture, their way of ritual and then came the arrival of Christianity. The Vikings reign in Ireland lasted for around 220 years, however their strong influence on culture and politics will last for quite a while. The Vikings made use of the sheltered harbor at Carlingford as a temporary base but it was the Anglo-Normans who were the first to establish a permanent settlement in the area. In the medieval period, the lord and the lady of the castle had different tasks. The lord organized the business of the castle, controlled his territory and carried out the king’s wishes. The lady on the other hand ensured that the castle ran smoothly. She would organize the food, drink and the servants. She would spin wool and flax and was over the responsibility of her children’s education. Towns in this period were granted Royal Charters, this meant that the king would give his permission for the town to elect their own council, have their own courts and can hold their
Religion was extremely important at this time and had a great influence on the lives of all the people. The Gaelic Irish with the new Viking people resulted in an extremely interesting combination. Christianity then developed into a form known as Celtic Christianity which was a mixture of Celtic and Viking art, making this a time of extremely good art and craft. Churches were built out of stone and often the biggest buildings in the town. These early medieval churches were built in Romanesque style with its features including: Rounded arches, thick walls and pillars and small windows. Later medieval churches were built in Gothic style with its features including: pointed arches, slender walls and narrow pillars and huge tall windows which includes the famous ‘Rose Windows’. More changes continued throughout the medieval period and then came the invasion of the Anglo-Norman’s who came from Britain, colonization of Ireland then began. The 12th century brought more changes again to the religion in Ireland, with the start of monastic settlements being unused, settlement patterns changed and new religious groups were formed. More changes occurred with buildings becoming fortified, instead of wooden structures, nearly all castles, forts and churches were now constructed using stone. These dramatic stone buildings leave their mark on the Irish landscape to this day. During the medieval period life was