By Lisa Ramsden
Dundrum Castle’s “architectural brilliance” is being showcased in a new set of special stamps.
Going on general sale tomorrow, the castle is included in a collection featuring fortifications dating from the Norman period onwards.
Dundrum Castle was one of the first generation of castles built by Anglo-Norman adventurers eager to acquire territory in Ireland from the 1170s onwards.
Set on a hill overlooking a natural harbour with wide beaches suitable for pulling up boats, the castle was ideally positioned to secure communications with the west coast of England and Wales.
The exact circumstances surrounding the castle’s foundation remain uncertain. It was probably established by John de Courcy but quickly passed to rival Hugh de Lacy, who is believed to have built the circular keep that dominates the site around 1211.
For more than 60 years, Royal Mail’s Special Stamp programme has commemorated anniversaries and celebrated events relevant to UK heritage and life. Today, there are an estimated 20 million stamp collectors worldwide.
The main stamp collection features photographs of eight castles from all four nations of the UK, dating from the Norman period onwards. Dunluce Castle, built in the 1500s, is also included.
The Department for Communities, which oversees the Historic Environment Division, welcomed the inclusion of both castles.
Gordon Lyons said: “Royal Mail has unveiled images of Dundrum and Dunluce castles — two of 12 new stamps that showcase the architectural brilliance of castles from across the UK.
“We are extremely pleased to see featured among these two State Care Monuments: Dunluce Castle and Dundrum Castle.
“I am pleased that two of my department’s State Care Monuments have been selected to feature in Royal Mail’s Castle Stamp Collections.”
Noting that Dundrum Castle “was founded nearly 850 years ago, has spectacular views across Dundrum Bay and the Mourne Mountains, and is an important local landmark”, Mr Lyons said both its inclusion and that of Dunluce Castle “is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the sites to audiences across the UK and encourage them to experience their unique character and setting for themselves.”
David Gold said: “Castles are among the most recognisable features of the UK’s landscape, and this stamp issue celebrates the skill, ambition and design, as well as the durability, behind these remarkable structures from across the nations.”
The release is accompanied by the usual range of collectable products, including presentation packs and first-day covers.
The stamps and collectable items are available to preorder from today via Royal Mail’s castles page or by telephone on 03457 641 641, with general sale beginning on 21 May.
The photographic set also includes Raglan Castle, Pembroke Castle, Urquhart Castle, Stirling Castle, Warwick Castle and Bamburgh Castle — a selection intended to illustrate the variety of design, from early Norman keeps and motte-and-bailey sites to later medieval palace fortresses and coastal strongholds.
