Carrigafoyle Castle, Carrigafoyle, Co. Kerry

Perched on the edge of the Shannon estuary near Ballylongford, Carrigafoyle Castle rises dramatically from what was once an inter-tidal island, its name deriving from the Irish 'Carraig an Phoill', meaning 'Rock of the Hole', after a deep pool in the river immediately beneath the castle walls.

Carrigafoyle Castle, Carrigafoyle, Co. Kerry

Built in the late 15th century by Connor Liath O’Connor Kerry, this formidable tower house served as the principal seat of the O’Connor Kerry dynasty until the tumultuous events of the late 16th century. The castle’s strategic position, surrounded by water at high tide, made it both a commanding defensive stronghold and a convenient base for extracting tolls from ships sailing up the Shannon to Limerick; indeed, records from 1542 show the O’Connor lord demanding payments of 3 shillings and 4 pence plus 20 gallons of wine from merchant vessels.

The castle itself is an impressive structure, standing over 24 metres tall with walls more than two metres thick, constructed from carefully laid small stones and featuring cut limestone details. Originally comprising five storeys with stone vaulted second and fourth floors, the tower measures 9.5 by 17.8 metres externally, with a spiral staircase in the southeast corner providing access between levels. The main entrance, positioned high above ground level to avoid the tides, opened into a sophisticated defensive complex that once included two concentric curtain walls; the inner wall with rounded turrets and the outer featuring square corner towers, with the space between serving as a protected dock for boats. Today, only fragments of the outer wall remain, including a 21-metre section and a square turret that was converted into a dovecote.

The castle’s most dramatic moment came during the Desmond Rebellions when James Fitzmaurice, who had acquired Carrigafoyle through marriage to the widow of O’Connor Kerry, held it against Elizabeth I’s forces. In March 1580, the Earl of Ormond besieged the castle with cannon brought by ship, eventually breaching the western wall after two days of bombardment. The garrison of 16 Spanish soldiers and 50 Irish defenders, who had declared they held the castle for the King of Spain, were overwhelmed when the collapsing masonry filled the defensive ditches, allowing English forces to storm the outer defences. Though partially ruined by this siege, with its western wall still showing the massive breach, Carrigafoyle remains one of Ireland’s most evocative castle ruins, its weathered stones bearing witness to centuries of clan politics, maritime commerce, and international conflict along this strategic waterway.

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Carrigafoyle, Co. Kerry

52.5699056, -9.49406387

52.5699056,-9.49406387

Co. Kerry

Carrigafoyle

Tower Houses

Carrigafoyle Castle, Carrigafoyle, Co. Kerry

Perched on the edge of the Shannon estuary near Ballylongford, Carrigafoyle Castle rises dramatically from what was once an inter-tidal island, its name deriving from the Irish 'Carraig an Phoill', meaning 'Rock of the Hole', after a deep pool in the river immediately beneath the castle walls.