Carriganass Castle – on the outskirts of Kealkill village, in the heart of West Cork – played a dramatic role in one of Irish history’s most exciting stories.
In 1602, the castle’s owner, Donal Cam O’Sullivan Bere, led his followers past its gates on a march to Leitrim that would see him join the Flight of the Earls from Ireland; that flight itself marked the end of Gaelic civilisation in Ireland.
Today’s visitors can explore the picturesque castle grounds. Guided tours are available, and many walkers each year take advantage of the waymarked routes that wend their way past this amazing monument at Carraig an Easa – ‘the rock of the waterfall’.
The castle is the perfect spot for a riverside picnic. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can walk the Srón na Gaithe loop walk, or the Poc an Tairbh loop walk from the castle gates. Kealkill Stone Circle can be reached on foot from here, and the castle is also connected to the Sheep’s Head Way and St. Finbarr’s Way.
