The last Geraldine stronghold to hold out against Queen Elizabeth I's forces, Listowel Castle fell after a 28-day siege on 5 November 1600 during the First Desmond Rebellion. Later a Hare family (Earls of Listowel) property, it was restored by the OPW beginning in 2005 and is now a national monument in the centre of Listowel town.
Visiting Listowel Castle (in ruins)
Yes — OPW managed, daily tours.
"The last Geraldine stronghold to hold out against Queen Elizabeth I's forces, Listowel Castle fell after a 28-day siege on 5 November 1600 during the First Desmond Rebellion."
Where to stay nearby
The closest castle hotel is Ballyseede Castle, 23.23 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.
