Members-Only Talk: Defence and Delight at Hillsborough Fort

• An event exclusively for Historic Royal Palaces members.
• A talk with Dr Wills McNeilly, Assistant Curator of Historic Buildings, exploring the heritage and archaeology of Hillsborough Fort, hosted in the Clore Learning Centre, at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens.
• Tea, coffee, water and biscuits will be available upon arrival and are included in the ticket price.

For more than 360 years, Hillsborough Fort has watched over the town, reflecting the dramatic political and social changes that shaped Ireland across the centuries.

Built in the turbulent years after the Irish rebellion, the fort was created as both a defensive stronghold and a bold symbol of the Hill family’s growing power as they established one of Ireland’s great estates.

As the Anglo-Irish class became more established in Ireland, their control became more secure. Battlements became pleasure gardens and strongholds were transformed into gothic summer houses. At the height of the Downshire estate, the fort even hosted lavish banquets for thousands of guests, before eventually falling into decline as Ireland’s old landowning system came to an end.

Join Dr Wills McNeilly for a fascinating journey through the history, architecture and archaeology of this remarkable place.