Rahinnane Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rahinnane Castle |
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| Native name Irish: Caisleán Ráthanáin |
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| Type | tower house atop ringfort |
| Location | Rahinnane, Ventry, County Kerry, Ireland |
| Owner | State |
| Official name: Rahinnane Castle, Ringfort & Souterrain | |
| Reference no. | 221.21 |
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Rahinnane Castle is an old stone building called a tower house. It is also a National Monument, which means it is a very important historical site protected by the government. You can find it in County Kerry, Ireland.
Contents
Where is Rahinnane Castle?
Rahinnane Castle is located about 1.73 kilometers (just over 1 mile) northwest of a village called Ventry. This area is in the west part of the Dingle Peninsula, a beautiful and famous part of Ireland.
What is the History of Rahinnane Castle?
Early Beginnings: The Ringfort
Long, long ago, around the 7th or 8th century AD, people built a ringfort on this spot. A ringfort is a circular area surrounded by a big ditch and bank, used for protection. The original Irish name for this place was Rath Fhionnáin, which means "Finan's ringfort."
Viking Stories
There's an old story that says this land was the very last place in Ireland that the Vikings held onto. This was because the ringfort made it very easy to defend against attacks.
Building the Tower House
The stone tower house you see today was built much later, sometime in the 15th or 16th century. It was built by a powerful family called the FitzGeralds. They were known as the hereditary Knights of Kerry.
Wars and Ruin
In 1602, near the end of the Nine Years' War, a soldier named Sir Charles Wilmot took over the castle. Later, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (from 1649 to 1653), the castle was badly damaged and became a ruin.
What Does Rahinnane Castle Look Like?
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The Ancient Earthwork
The old ringfort around the castle had a very deep ditch, about 9 meters (30 feet) deep! The main entrance was on the southwest side. There was also a souterrain in the southeast, which is an underground passage or chamber.
The Castle Structure
The castle itself was shaped like a rectangle and had three floors. Most of its outer walls are still standing today. Inside, you can still see parts of a stairway built into the wall. There are also hints of vaulted ceilings and a blind arcade, which is a row of arches that are just for decoration and don't open up. You can also spot two small corner turrets.
Rahinnane Castle is a large, ruined tower that stands inside a huge circular earthwork. This earthwork includes a very big bank and a ditch that is about 9 meters deep. More than half of the three-story castle's outer walls are still standing.
