Carriganass Castle facts for kids
Carriganass Castle (pronounced Cah-ri-ga-nass) is an old castle from the 1500s in County Cork, Ireland. Its name in Irish, Caisleán Charraig an Easa, means "The Castle on the Rock of the Waterfall." You can find it about 8 kilometers north-east of Bantry, near the village of Kealkill, in West Cork. It's a type of castle called a tower house.
A Look Back in Time
Carriganass Castle was likely built around 1540 by Dermot O'Sullivan. He was part of the O'Sullivan Beare clan, a powerful family in West Cork during the 1500s and early 1600s.
For a while, different members of the O'Sullivan clan fought over the castle. But by 1601, they joined together. They supported Hugh O'Neill in a big battle called the Battle of Kinsale.
After the English army won at Kinsale, one of their leaders, Sir George Carew, followed the O'Sullivan forces. Most of the O'Sullivan army went back to Dunboy Castle. A small group stayed at Carriganass. Carew's army easily took Carriganass Castle. Then they continued on to attack Dunboy.
Because of these events, the O'Sullivans lost their land and the castle. Later, the Barrett family owned it until the 1930s. During their time, a new house was built next to the castle. Carriganass Castle then slowly became the ruins we see today.
Castle Design
Carriganass Castle is a classic example of an Irish tower house from the 1500s. It has a main tower that is four stories tall. This tower is surrounded by a strong outer wall, called a bawn, which is about 14 feet high.
The main tower sits on a rock right above the Ouvane river. It has four small towers, called turrets, at each corner. The main way to get into the castle was through a gate in the north wall of the bawn. The bawn itself also had four corner towers. The main castle tower was built into the west wall of the bawn.
Today, the castle is in ruins. Some parts of the main tower have fallen down over time.
Walking Trails Around the Castle
Carriganass Castle is a meeting point for several popular walking trails in West Cork.
- The Beara-Breifne Way follows the long journey of O'Sullivan Bere. He marched from West Cork all the way to Leitrim to join other Irish leaders.
- From Carriganass, you can also connect to loop walks that are part of the Sheep's Head Way. This is a network of beautiful walking routes.
- The castle is also the middle point of St. Finbarr's Way. This is a special pilgrim path that traces St. Finbarr's journey. It goes from Drimoleague to Gougane Barra.
