State Apartments (Dublin Castle)
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The State Apartments in Dublin Castle are a suite of rooms that are used for hosting state social occasions. They were previously the Royal Apartments or Viceregal Apartments resided in by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland during the Social Season (January to 17 March - St. Patrick's Day). Visiting members of the British Royal Family also stayed there.
The main rooms are:
- St. Patrick's Hall - formerly the location of the installation of Knights of St. Patrick and now the location for the Inauguration of the President of Ireland. European Council meetings also occur there, as do some state banquets and special events, such as the awarding of an honorary doctorate to the visiting President of the United States John F. Kennedy.
- Throne room.
- King's bedroom.
- Queen's bedroom.
- King George V Dining Room.
- Wedgwood Room.
The rooms are used primarily for hosting state receptions. They were last used for residential purposes when Margaret Thatcher as British Prime Minister stayed there in 1979 and again in the late 1980s while attending a European Council meeting.
The main drawing room and the presence chamber were destroyed by fire in 1941. The restored drawing room was extended in size. The presence chamber was not rebuilt but incorporated into the drawing room.
[edit] Famous people who stayed there
- Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
- King George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary
- British prime minister Margaret Thatcher
