Castle, Liscahane, Co. Kerry
In the rolling countryside of County Kerry, near the village of Liscahane, stand the remains of a medieval tower house that once commanded the surrounding landscape.
Castle, Liscahane, Co. Kerry
This castle, likely built during the 15th or 16th century, represents a common form of defensive architecture that dotted the Irish countryside during a particularly turbulent period of history. Tower houses like this one served dual purposes; they were both fortified residences for local lords and symbols of authority over the surrounding lands.
The structure follows the typical design of Irish tower houses, with thick stone walls that would have supported multiple floors connected by narrow spiral staircases. Though now roofless and partially ruined, the castle would have originally stood several storeys high, with the ground floor used for storage, the main hall on the first floor, and private chambers above. Small windows, designed more for defence than light, pierce the remaining walls, whilst the corners show evidence of careful stone masonry work that has survived centuries of Irish weather.
The castle at Liscahane offers visitors a tangible connection to medieval Ireland, when such fortifications were essential for survival during clan conflicts and English colonisation attempts. Its strategic position would have allowed its inhabitants to monitor movement across the local roads and farmland, whilst thick walls provided protection during raids. Today, the ruins stand quietly in the Kerry landscape, their weathered stones a testament to the complex social and military history of medieval Ireland, when every local chieftain needed both a home and a fortress.