List of castles in County Kerry

Location of County Kerry

County Kerry, Ireland is home to a wide range of fortified castle structures. The castles below are referenced by the Irish National Grid on Ordnance Survey maps.

Overview

Castles and maps listed below are sourced mainly from the Discovery (Irish TV) series. The series attributed the maps below (Scale: 1:50 000) to Ordnance Survey, the Irish national mapping agency. Most of the listed castles and forts clearly indicated on the maps and are accessible to walkers and the general public. Some maps use the older SCALE 1:126,720 from the series published in 1986.

Map Sheets Covering Kerry

Editions

  • O.S. SCALE 1:126,720 Edition, published 1986 (Half Inch to One mile)
  • Discovery Series, 3rd Edition, published 2005 (2 centimetres to 1 Kilometre)
  • Discovery Series, 4th Edition, published 2010

Key to column headings

  • Structure

Listed as "Castle" or "Promontory Fort", markings of "Dun Cinn Tire" and "Signal Tower" are also included.

  • O.S. Sheet

Refers to the Ordnance Survey sheet on which the structure can be found.

  • N.G. Segment

National Grid segment in which the structure is located. Each grid segment covers an actual area of 1 square kilometre.

  • V

The number of the Vertical, N-S, line of the National Grid system.

  • H

The number of the Horizontal, E-W, line of the National Grid system. The structure to be located will then lie in the square to the North East of the intersecting H/V lines.

  • Type
    • "Castle" - generally of Celtic or Norman construction
    • "Promontory Fort"- generally built about 1500 BC,
    • "Dun Cinn Tire" is the Irish language translation of "Promontory Fort"
    • "Signal Tower" - These are probably of Norman Construction
  • Near

Some general reference point clearly marked on the map or generally, well known; a town, village, harbour, headland or road etc.

  • Comment

Nearest main road or road, e.g. N 22 or R 559. If structure is easily accessible? Visibility of site from road.

  • Marked

As some castles are obliterated, the location of the sites are listed, as in the case of Tralee Castle. Because their position and prominence was historically important, the known information is entered so that a more comprehensive understanding of the area and era may be obtained.

Table

Structure OS Sheet N.G. Segment Vert. Horiz. Type Near Comment Marked Y/N
Dunquin 70 V 31 99 - Dunquin - Y
Shrone Point 83 - 35 76 Prom Fort Portmagee Valentia Island -
Raheen (near) 70 V 35 97 Prom Fort Slea Head R 559 -
Foilnanean Cliffs 83 - 36 76 Prom Fort Portmagee Valentia Island -
Ventry Harbour - - 37 97 - - - -
Cahertrant 70 V 37 97 Prom Fort Leckeel off R 559 -
Gallarus Castle 70 Q 38 5 - Murreaght R 559 -
Alachai Mor 83 - 38 65 Prom Fort St. Finan's Bay - -
Cloghanecanuig 83 38 68 - - - - -
Ballymore Point - - 39 99 Prom Fort Ventry Harbour R 559 -
Feonanagh 70 - 40 9 - - - -
Ballinskelligs Castle - - 43 65 - Ballinskelligs - -
Cooncrome 83 - 43 81 Prom Fort Caherciveen - -
Ballymacadoyle Hill 70 V 43 98 Prom Fort Dingle Beyond Colaiste Ide Y
Ballycarbery Castle 83 - 44 79 - Caherciveen off N 70 -
Emiaghmore 83 - 45 70 - Ballinskelligs R 566 -
Beenbane Cliffs 70 V 45 98 Prom Fort Dingle E. harbour entrance Y
Doonsheane 70 V 47 98 Prom Fort Dingle Short Strand Inlet
Bulls Head 70 V 49 97 Prom Fort Lispole off N 86 -
Minard 70 53 97 Minard Head Anascaul/Dingle Y
Caherdaniel 83 - 54 58 off N 70 Example
Cill Muire 83 Example 54 58 Example Minard East Example Example
Castle Cove 83 Example 59 60 Example Castle Cove N 70 Example
Straigue Fort 83 Example 61 63 Stone Fort Caherdaniel Example Example
Kilshannig 71 Q 62 19 Signal Tower Castlegregory Example Example
Knockglass More 71 Example 70 10 Prom Fort Camp Example Example
Fenit Island 71 Q 72 17 Example Fenit R 558 Example Yes
Barrow 71 Q 72 18 Example Golf Club Example Example
Caherconree 71 Q 72 96 Hill Fort Camp R 560 Example Yes
Ballyheige Fortification 71 Q 73 28 Example Ballyheige Example Example
Rahoneen 71 Q 75 20 Example Ardfert Example Example
Rathmoral 71 Q 79 29 Example Ballyheige Example Example
Ballymaquim 71 Example 82 26 Example Abbeydorney Example Example
Tralee castle 71 Example 83 14 Example Town center No trace No
Dromaloughane 78 Example 85 91 Example Beaufort Example Example
Ballybeggan 71 Example 86 15 Example Tralee Racecourse N 69 Example
Dromreag 71 Example 88 4 Example Fieries Example Example
Lixnaw Tower 71 Example 88 29 Example Lixnaw R 557 Example
Kenmare Castle 78 V 88 70 Example Tubrid off N 70 Example
Dromore Castle 78 Example 88 91 Example Beaufort off N 72 Example
Doonimlaghbeg 71 Example 89 11 Example Example N 22 Example
Lixnaw Bridge 71 Example 89 29 Example Lixnaw R 557 Example
Fieries Example Example 90 2 Example Example R 561 Example
Roxborough 71 Example 91 4 Example Farranfore N 22 Example
Aghadoe Castle
(Parkavonear Castle)		 78 Example 93 92 Example Example R 562/ N 22 Example
Ross Castle 78 Example 94 88 Example Killarney Example Example
Castlelough 78 Example 97 88 Example Killarney N 71 Example
Ardea Castle Example Example Example Example Example Example Example Example
Ballybunion Castle Example Example Example Example Example Example Example Example
Ballingarry Castle Example Example Example Example Example Example Example Example
Ballymalis Castle
Ballyseedy Castle Sheet Sgmt V H Tralee Hotel

Further reading

  • Discovering Kerry by T.J. Barrington, Blackwater Dublin (1976) ISBN 0-905471-00-8
  • Kerry Landing, August 1922 by Niall C. Harrington. Anvil Books Limited (1992). ISBN 0-947962-70-0
  • The Castles of the Kingdom of Kerry by Michael J. Carroll. Bantry Designs (2004) ISBN 0-9519415-5-0
  • A Pictorial History of Tralee by Russell McMorran and Maurice O'Keeffe. Kingdom Printers Ltd. (2005) ISBN 0-9543274-3-8
  • The Dingle Peninsula - 18 walks Through its Heritage by Maurice Sheehy. Kingdom Printers Ltd, Tralee. (1986) No ISBN