Castle, Glandine, Co. Kerry
In County Kerry's rugged landscape, the lost Castle Glandine stands as a testament to Ireland's turbulent past and the shifting fortunes of its noble families.
Castle, Glandine, Co. Kerry
Edmund FitzJohn FitzGerald took possession of the castle, town and surrounding lands in 1610, holding them in fee simple; the strongest form of land ownership under English law. His family’s tenure would prove relatively brief, however, as they forfeited all their holdings in 1653, swept away in the political upheavals following the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.
The castle’s exact identity remains something of a historical puzzle. It may be the same fortification that appears on 17th century maps under various spellings as Castle Launder, Linder, or Lander, though cartographers of the period placed this structure closer to the villages of Anascaul or Inch. Local historical research by Ó Conchúir in 1973 noted these discrepancies, highlighting how even well documented castles can become confused in the historical record when place names shift and memories fade.
Today, nothing remains of the castle’s physical structure, yet its memory persists in local tradition. The site, still known and pointed out by area residents, occupies what was once a commanding position overlooking Glenfais. This strategic placement was typical of Anglo-Norman and later castles in Ireland, designed to control movement through valleys and assert dominance over the surrounding countryside. The archaeological survey of the Dingle Peninsula conducted by J. Cuppage in 1986 documented the site as part of the region’s rich medieval heritage, ensuring that even vanished castles like Glandine maintain their place in Ireland’s historical landscape.