Artwork

View of the Castle of Carrick, on the River Boyne, County of E[ast] Meath, 24 m[iles] fr[om] Dublin [...]

View of the Castle of Carrick, on the River Boyne, County of E[ast] Meath, 24 m[iles] fr[om] Dublin [...] is an unspecified work on paper by the Rococo painting artist Gabriel, ca.1729-1817 Beranger. It dates from 1790 and is held in the collection of the Royal Irish Academy.

About this work

They seem to be going about their daily lives, with women and children together, and a man and boy holding sticks or fishing rods.

This painting shows a castle on the River Boyne with people in the foreground.
The people are looking at something to the right of the castle. They seem to be going about their daily lives, with women and children together, and a man and boy holding sticks or fishing rods.
This scene is reminiscent of everyday life, and to learn more about the artist who created it, look up Beranger, Gabriel, ca.1729-1817.

Overview

The image depicts the ruined Carrick Castle, also known as Carrickdexter, situated on the River Boyne near Slane in County Meath, roughly twenty‑four miles north of Dublin. The composition places the decayed structure centrally, while a small group of figures occupies the foreground, creating a narrative of everyday activity against the historic backdrop.

Subject & Meaning

In the foreground, two women—one cradling an infant—and a man accompanied by a boy are shown holding sticks that may be fishing rods. Their gaze is directed toward a wall positioned to the right of the castle, suggesting a moment of pause or observation within a routine riverside setting.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in a detailed, topographical manner characteristic of late‑18th‑century Irish landscape drawing. Precise line work conveys the ruin’s architecture, while the figures are rendered with modest shading, emphasizing their modest scale relative to the surrounding scenery and reinforcing a documentary quality.

History & Provenance

The piece is attributed to Gabriel Beranger (c.1729‑1817), an Irish artist known for recording antiquities and rural scenes. Beranger’s surveys of Irish ruins were often compiled for antiquarian publications, and this view likely formed part of his systematic visual record of Meath’s historic sites.

Context

During the period of its creation, interest in Ireland’s medieval remnants was growing among scholars and the gentry, reflecting a broader Romantic fascination with ruins. The inclusion of ordinary figures underscores the coexistence of daily life with the lingering presence of past fortifications along the Boyne.