Newcastle, Dublin
Newcastle () is a village in the south-western part of South Dublin county, Ireland. It is also a civil parish in the barony of the same name. It was the location of the castle of the barony, which in historical and official documents is described as Newcastle-Lyons. The area is still primarily rural in nature. Newcastle village is within the administrative area of South Dublin County Council. History Evidence of ancient settlement in the Newcastle area include a number of ringfort, fulacht fiadh and tower house sites in the townlands of Newcastle Farm, Newcastle North, Newcastle South and Ballynakelly. A raised motte, dated to the 12th century Norman invasion of Ireland, is located close to the medieval church in Newcastle, St Finian's church. The parliamentary borough of Newcastle elected two MPs to the Irish House of Commons from 1613 to 1801. It was disenfranchised by the Acts of Union 1800. The gradual relaxation of the Penal Laws throughout Ireland and Great Britain from 1778 onward culminated in the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1793 passed the Irish Parliament. The eventual achievement of full Catholic Relief was secured during the administration of the Dublin-born hero of the Napoleonic war, the Duke of