Isolated, green, majestic, pristine, and ancient, with a touch of rain. This is no fairy tale castle, but it is everything that I feel Ireland should be.
There is not much left of this castle but there are some images to help you imagine how it once was. This was our first sightseeing stop of the trip just a short detour on our way from the Dublin airport to Portrush. Off the beaten path without being out of the way, this isolated peninsula makes the perfect picnic stop. Now you can watch the wind make waves across the fields and the clouds chase each other casting walls of darkness on the land below. There would be no such thing as a surprise attack here. You can see for miles in every direction. Most of the stairs are completely gone here, so there isn’t much you can easily climb, but it is a fun maze of crumbling walls.įrom the top, why they built here is no puzzle at all. You can wander around the large hilltop and try to imagine how it once was. There are bits of the once grand fortress everywhere, but much of it is toppled over and fragmented. This castle takes a bit of imagination to piece back together in your mind. There is a small plaque with a bit of history by the start of the path. You park at the bottom by the little church and climb up the hill to visit these ruins.
If you are traveling between Dublin and Cork, the Ring of Kerry, Limerick, or southern Ireland you will probably pass right by it. The Dunamase Castle is only an hour from Dublin and just off the highway, however, it gets relatively few visitors. Now we have Salomon Hiking Shoes and Mizuno Trail Running Shoes, which are lighter and more breathable. We wore Columbia Hiking Shoes which were rugged and were a good value. Being Ireland, if it isn’t raining now it either just did or will soon, and the grass will be wet. You may want to consider waterproof shoes for Ireland to stay comfortable. Shoes - Regular sneakers will work but if you intend to climb to the upper levels of Ballinskellig or Ballycarbery Castle you may want something with a little more grip because it can be slick. Several of these have dark passages with stairs and Ballycarbery has a basement. This is part of what I love about visiting these sites, but doesn’t mean that they are necessarily safe.įlashlight - A head lamp would be best so you can move around hands free. There are no handrails, warning or safety of any kind. Please remember to be respectful - Leave these places as you found them for the next visitors to enjoy.Įxplore at your own risk - Be careful and aware of your surroundings. Kinbane Castle - Northern Ireland - Not much left but incredible sceneryīallinskellig Castle - Ring of Kerry - Small but surprisingīallycarbery Castle - Ring of Kerry - Tall and dramatic Rock of Dunamase - South West of Dublin - Ruins with a 360 degree view We thoroughly enjoyed all of these and felt that each one was unique enough to be worth visiting. This list is not comprehensive and not necessarily the best, just the ones we visited on our one week road trip. Unlike the restored castles that are constantly under construction, the beauty of decay takes over and adds a life of its own to these abandoned structures. You can climb (and with the stairs rotted away sometimes you have to) and wander at your own risk, unhindered by signs or fences.
#ABANDONED CASTLES FREE#
Most of these castles are just there, free to enter, and begging to be explored. However, I fell in love with abandoned castles on our trip to Ireland. I generally don’t have the attention span for museums and, while there are exceptions, I feel like most restored castles are along that same vein.
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