First fortified in 1398 by Carberry O'Shea and later held by the MacCarthy Mór clan, Ballycarbery's present ruins date to the 16th century. The castle was bombarded by cannon fire in 1652 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and sits dramatically on farmland near Cahersiveen with Atlantic views.
Visiting Ballycarbery Castle (in ruins)
No direct access — private land, health-and-safety closure; viewable from a nearby parking area.
"First fortified in 1398 by Carberry O'Shea and later held by the MacCarthy Mór clan, Ballycarbery's present ruins date to the 16th century."
Where to stay nearby
The closest castle hotel is Ballyseede Castle, 53.7 km away in Tralee — 15th-century castle, chief garrison of the Fitzgerald Earls of Desmond; the current structure dates to 1721 after the earlier castle passed to the Blennerhassett family, and it became a hotel in 1965.
