Built by the O'Donoghue Mór clan on the shores of Lough Leane in Killarney National Park, Ross Castle was among the last strongholds in Ireland to fall to Cromwell's forces, only captured after artillery was floated up the River Laune by boat. It is a classic example of a chieftain's tower house in a lakeside setting.
Visiting Ross Castle (in ruins)
Yes — OPW managed, seasonal guided tours.
"Built by the O'Donoghue Mór clan on the shores of Lough Leane in Killarney National Park, Ross Castle was among the last strongholds in Ireland to fall to Cromwell's forces, only captured after artillery was floated up the River Laune by boat."
Where to stay nearby
The closest castle hotel is Ballyseede Castle, 26.7 km away in Tralee — 15th-century castle, chief garrison of the Fitzgerald Earls of Desmond; the current structure dates to 1721 after the earlier castle passed to the Blennerhassett family, and it became a hotel in 1965.
