Meiler Fitzhenry founded the castle in 1204 on the orders of King John, after the Norman invasion of 1169, and it was largely complete by about 1230. The plan is a Norman courtyard, with a central square, no keep, tall walls and a circular tower at each corner. The Record Tower, from about 1228 to 1230, is the only surviving tower of the original fortification.
Francis Johnston restored the Record Tower in 1810 to 1813, and its battlements are an early 19th-century addition. Severe fire damage in 1684 led to extensive rebuilding as a Georgian palace, and apart from the Record Tower no medieval buildings remain above ground. The Bedford Tower was built from 1750 to 1761 under Thomas Eyre.
St Patrick's Hall dates from the 1740s, with decoration largely from about 1790. The castle was the residence of the Lord Lieutenant and the seat of British administration until 1922. The grounds cover 11 acres (44,000 m²).
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