Though no stone foundations remain and early maps show no trace of fortifications, the site carries centuries of folklore connecting it to the tumultuous history of 17th century Ireland. The headland’s Irish name translates to “point of the little castle”, suggesting that some defensive structure may indeed have occupied this strategic position overlooking the sound between the Great Blasket and the mainland.

The Blasket Islands passed into the control of the Ferriter family in the 13th century, when they leased the lands from the Earl of Desmond. As prominent Gaelic landowners, the Ferriters may have maintained a garrison on this exposed outpost, though documentary evidence remains elusive. The family held considerable sway in the region for centuries, and any fortification here would have served both as a refuge and a symbol of their authority over these remote Atlantic islands.

The site’s most famous association is with Piaras Firtéar (Pierce Ferriter), the celebrated poet and one of the last Gaelic chieftains to resist Cromwellian forces in Kerry. According to local tradition, Firtéar sought sanctuary at this windswept headland around 1641 during the Confederate Wars. His refuge proved temporary; he was eventually captured and executed in Killarney, becoming a martyr figure in Irish folk memory. Whether castle walls ever stood here or not, the headland remains a powerful reminder of the Ferriters’ long dominion over these islands and their dramatic fall during Ireland’s bloodiest century.