CASTLES COUNTY KERRY

Castlelough Castle, also known as McCarthy Mor Castle, sits on a low promontory in Lough Leane near Killarney, County Kerry. Founded possibly in the early 13th century by Anglo-Norman De Roches, the castle became the stronghold of the Gaelic MacCarthys who ruled South Kerry from this and other strategic locations. The castle remained with the MacCarthy family until the mid-18th century when it was sold to British colonel William Crosbie, by which time it had already begun its decline into ruin. The site remains historically significant as a focal point of medieval Gaelic and Anglo-Norman power struggles in Kerry.

Gallarus Castle is a four-storey rectangular tower house built in the 15th century by the Knight of Kerry on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry. Located in the Gaeltacht village of Baile na nGall, this well-preserved fortified structure showcases typical late-medieval Irish architecture with split stone rubble construction and sandstone quoins. The tower retains its distinctive vaulted roof despite losing its original battlements, and sits just one kilometre from the ancient Gallarus Oratory, creating a significant historical pairing. Protected as a national monument, the castle offers insight into the Geraldine Dynasty's control of the region and has undergone careful restoration to preserve this important Irish heritage site.

Minard Castle rises majestically from a high promontory on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, overlooking the scenic Kilmurry Bay. Built in the 15th century by the Fitzgerald family, Knights of Kerry, this rectangular tower house represents one of the peninsula's most formidable fortifications. Constructed from roughly dressed sandstone with vaulted ceilings on its lower floors, the castle originally stood four storeys high before sustaining damage during a 1650 Cromwellian siege when explosives were detonated at its base. The dramatic coastal setting and historical significance make Minard a notable landmark on the Dingle Peninsula's rugged landscape.

Carrigafoyle Castle is a formidable 15th-century tower house built between 1490 and 1500 by Conor Liath O'Connor on the Shannon Estuary near Ballylongford in County Kerry. Rising nearly 90 feet high with five storeys and a 104-step spiral staircase, this strategic fortress once commanded the shipping lanes supplying medieval Limerick. Its distinctive design includes a moat that would fill at high tide and a small dock for maritime access. The castle's dramatic history includes the famous 1580 siege during the Desmond Rebellion, and it remains one of Ireland's most impressive surviving tower houses.

Ardtully House sits west of Kilgarvan in County Kerry, occupying a site with centuries of layered history. The location originally held a 13th-century monastery, replaced by a McFineen McCarthy castle destroyed during Cromwell's conquest. The Orpen family later erected a mansion within the castle ruins, which Sir Richard Orpen Townsend replaced in 1847 with a Scottish-Baronial style house. This structure was destroyed in 1921 during the Irish War of Independence by the IRA and never rebuilt, leaving dramatic ruins accessible to visitors (though entry is restricted for safety). The site represents the complex intersections of monastic, medieval and modern Irish architectural history.

Ballymalis Castle is a partially restored tower house and National Monument located in County Kerry near Beaufort, standing 16.8 metres high on the north bank of the River Laune. Built in the early sixteenth century by the Ó Muircheartaigh family, the castle was renovated by the Ó Fearghuis clan in the late sixteenth century. Featuring rectangular construction with four storeys, an attic, and bartizans at the southwest and northeast corners, the fortification was confiscated in 1677 and subsequently granted to the Eager family. The castle's walls measure 2.5 metres thick, reflecting its strategic importance in medieval Kerry.