This is a “tower house” castle built toward the end of the 16th century for the Ferris family, known as the guardians of the line of the river Laune which flows through Killorglin and into the mouth of Dingle and Castlemaine harbour just near Cromane.
Previously, there had been a different structure as the castle was built there by Anglo-Norman invaders. Around 1270, the Anglo-Normans were ousted by the great MacCarthy More's of the Iveragh peninsula. Donal Rua Mac Carthy was King then and had ousted the O'Falveys to take over the Ballycarberry castle we visited last month. But there is much more to tell in that story.
This tower house castle is striking not only because its four structural outer walls are still intact, but also because of the bartizans and decorative windows in the upper floors of the north and south walls.
The bartizan is the portion of the wall at the second and third storeys that juts out like a turret and at the time allowed arrows to be shot out at unwelcome intruders.
Detailed decorative ram's heads or flower bouquets are still visible on the bartizan.
The inside of the castle no longer has floors, but there is an intact staircase that is narrow and winding.
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