Castle, Richard

Castle, Richard (c.1695–1751), one of Ireland's most prolific Palladian architects. Of German origin, Castle spent some time in London where he probably became acquainted with the Palladian movement and its English exponents. He arrived in Ireland c.1728 and worked with Edward Lovett Pearce on the designs for the Parliament House and the Newry canal scheme. Following Pearce's death in 1733, Castle took over the practice and found particular success in country house design; amongst his most notable country houses are Westport House, Co. Mayo (1731), Powerscourt House, Co. Wicklow (1731–40), and Carton House, Co. Kildare (1739–45). In Dublin he designed the Printing House in Trinity College (1734), the Rotunda lying‐in hospital (1750–7), and the Fishamble Street music hall (1740, no longer extant), together with a number of domestic buildings including Leinster House (1745–51) and nos. 80 and 85 St Stephen's Green (1736–7, 1738). Apart from Pearce, Castle's work is principally influenced by the English architect Sir James Gibbs.

Rachel Moss