Castle Macallistrum, Balloonagh, Co. Kerry
Castle Macallistrum stands in Balloonagh, County Kerry, a remnant of Ireland's tumultuous 17th century history.
Castle Macallistrum, Balloonagh, Co. Kerry
The castle, which appears on early Ordnance Survey maps as ‘Castle Mac Ellistrum’, was recorded as being in the possession of Christopher Walsh in 1641; a significant year that marked the beginning of the Irish Rebellion. While the exact origins of the castle remain somewhat obscure, its alternative spellings suggest possible connections to local Gaelic families who may have held the lands before the Walsh family’s tenure.
The castle’s location, carefully marked on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, helps preserve its place in the historical landscape of Kerry. These detailed Victorian-era maps, created in the mid-19th century, have proved invaluable for tracking Ireland’s lost and ruined structures. The fact that the castle warranted inclusion on these early surveys indicates it was still a notable landmark at that time, though today only traces of the structure may remain.
Christopher Walsh’s ownership during 1641 places the castle squarely within one of Ireland’s most turbulent periods. The rebellion that began that year would spiral into the Confederate Wars, fundamentally reshaping Irish society and land ownership. Many castles and tower houses throughout Kerry changed hands multiple times during these conflicts, serving alternately as strongholds, garrisons, and symbols of changing political fortunes. Castle Macallistrum’s story, though fragmentary, offers a window into this complex period of Irish history when old Gaelic and Norman families like the Walshes navigated the dangerous waters of rebellion, war, and colonial transformation.