Dunkerron Castle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dunkerron Castle
Templenoe, County Kerry Near Kenmare in Ireland
Tower house at Dunkerron
Coordinates	51°52′32″N 9°37′15″W / 51.87556°N 9.62083°W / 51.87556; -9.62083
Type	Tower house
Height	4 storeys
Site information
Condition	Ruin
Site history
Built	13th century (Norman tower house), 16th century (Adjoining court house)

Dunkerron Castle (which means 'Ciarán's Fort Castle' in Irish) is an old, ruined castle in Templenoe, near Kenmare, County Kerry, in the southwest of Ireland. It's a four-storey building called a tower house. For many years, starting in the late 1500s, it was the main home for the important O'Sullivan Mór family.

What is Dunkerron Castle's History?

This four-storey tower house was first built in the 1200s. It was a strong base for a Norman family called Carew. Normans were people from France who came to Ireland a long time ago.

Later, in the late 1500s, more parts were added to the castle. This happened when Owen O'Sullivan became the leader of his family, known as 'O'Sullivan Mór'. A special stone plaque from 1596 shows that the O'Sullivan Mór family and the MacCarthy Reagh family were connected to the castle.

How Did Dunkerron Castle Change Hands?

In the 1600s, the O'Sullivan Mór family moved their main home to a nearby castle called Cappanacush. During a big conflict in the mid-1600s, called the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, both Dunkerron and Cappanacush castles were defended by the O'Sullivans.

After this conflict, the O'Sullivan castles and lands were taken away. They were given to a supporter of Oliver Cromwell named William Petty. The O'Sullivans tried to get their lands back later, but they were not successful.

By the 1800s, maps showed that Dunkerron Castle was already in ruins. Around that time, a new, large house called Dunkerron House was built on the estate.

This image shows text from a stone plaque dated 1596. It tells us that Owen O'Sullivan Mór and his wife, Sily Ní Donogh MacCarthy Reagh, had work done at the castle.

What Happened to the Castle's Title?

One of the last leaders of a branch of the O'Sullivan family was Donal O'Sullivan. He passed away in 1754 without any children or direct family to take his place. Because of this, the special title he held, "Prince of Dunkerron," ended with him.

Later, the British King or Queen gave a new noble title, called Baron Dunkeron, to a man named John Petty. He was a descendant of the William Petty who received the lands after the Cromwellian conflict. However, this new title was different from the original Irish noble title.