Description of the attraction
Among the many attractions in Ireland, Ballycarbury Castle is undoubtedly worth remembering. This ancient castle, or rather its ruins, is located on a green, picturesque hill overlooking the Firth River, from the top of which you can enjoy excellent panoramic views of the harbor of Valentia, just a few kilometers from the town of Carciwyn in County Kerry.
In the 14th century, the land on which the ruins of Ballycarbury Castle rise today belonged to the powerful Macarty More clan. Historians believe that during this period there already existed a castle, which may have been built on top of the hill by Donal McCarthy for his son. True, the original building has not survived to this day, and the ruins that you see today date back to the 16th century.
Once upon a time, the castle was surrounded by powerful fortress walls, of which, unfortunately, only fragments remain (most of the perimeter was destroyed by Cromwell's army). Actually, the castle itself is in a very deplorable state today, but even despite the fact that the southern wall of the castle is mostly absent, the general structure has been preserved and allows you to appreciate the former greatness of this building.
Today, Ballicarbury Castle is all just huge dilapidated castle walls, entwined with ivy. You can wander around the grassy first floor of the old castle. Once upon a time there were several rooms on this floor, but only in one of them the walls and roof are almost completely preserved. There are also a couple of partially preserved staircases, but to climb them, for safety reasons, is still not worth it.
A long-standing legend tells of the existence of an underground tunnel that links Ballycarbury Castle to Fort Cahergall. The entrance to the tunnel is presumably located at the southeastern corner of the castle, but this version has not yet been practically confirmed.
