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thumbnail Peel Castle on St. Patrick’s Isle with the Isle of Man in the background
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Peel Castle on St. Patrick’s Isle with the Isle of Man in the background © Massimo Ripani/SIME/eStock Photo
The Isle of Man has a long and complicated history of invasions, conquests, and systems of government. Pictured on today’s homepage are the ruins of the cathedral on the grounds of Peel Castle, on St. Patrick’s Isle (which is connected by a causeway to the rest of the island). Vikings built the original wooden fortification during the 11th century on a location that had older Celtic monastic structures made of stone, which were incorporated into the castle. Over the next eight centuries, the various Norse, Scottish, and English rulers of the area added battlements, towers, and the cathedral to the grounds.