AN ANCIENT FORTRESS AT THE HEART OF THE KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK
Ross Castle is a 15th-century fortress sat on the shore of Lough Leane. Its picturesque location is right inside the Killarney National Park. The castle is easily reachable from the town of Killarney.
A well-preserved structure, Ross Castle is comprised of a tower fortress with some rounded turrets. The fortification sits at the centre of a defensive wall.
The many stories surrounding the castle are fascinating! Local legend held that the castle would be conquered by ‘strange ships’ on the surrounding lake. At the time, this was an unimaginable situation.
But in 1652, during the Irish Confederate War, defenders of the castle were astounded to see forces attacking from the lake. Cromwell’s English forces had dragged boats on oxen from Killorgin to fire artillery at the castle from the water. The defenders surrendered in short time.
Nowadays, the castle is open to the public during the summer. An entrance fee applies.
Nearby, you can also visit the remains of a monastery on the quiet Innisfallen Island. This is where the Annals of Innisfallen were written in the 13th century. These are now kept in the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford.
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