Ballycarbery Castle is a castle

Castle

A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...

 3km from Cahersiveen, County Kerry

County Kerry

Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 . The castle is situated high on a grass hill facing the sea and is a short distance from Cahergall Fort and Leacanabuile Fort.

History

There was some kind of residence situated on the site of the castle as early as 1398 however the present ruins were constructed in the 16th century. It was noted as a McCarthy Mor castle by some sources at that time but whether it was occupied by the McCarthy Mors or their wardens the O'Connells is unknown. The castle was passed onto Sir Valentine Browne

Sir Valentine Browne, Knight

Sir Valentine Browne, of Crofts, Lincolnshire, was an English politician.-Life:Valentine Browne was the son of Sir Valentine Browne of Croft, Lincolnshire and may have been educated at Trinity College, Cambridge...

 following the death of its owner Donal McCarthy More. In 1652 it was attacked by cannon-fire from parliament forces. In the 18th century a house was built on the site using the barn wall and it was inhabited by the Lauder family. This house was demolished in the early 20th century.

Structure: Ballycarbery Castle

The castle was surrounded by a high wall with less than half still remaining. There are arrow slits dotted along the bottom of the remaining wall. A staircase remains inside one part of the wall however is not easily accessible.

The ground floor of the castle was made up of several chambers but only one chamber is still roofed and walled. It's a large chamber with a quite high roof and in one corner a staircase leading upstairs.

There are two different staircases leading to the first floor and there is also a path up the back of the castle since the whole back wall is missing. One of the staircases is up on a height inside the ground floor chamber and is in very good condition. The other is entered from outside the chamber and is slightly damaged.

The first floor is covered in grass and has some windows and a few small rooms but is mostly in the open. The first floor is the highest accessible part of the castle as the steps to the second floor must have been attached to the now missing back wall.

Mass Media

Ballycarbery Castle has been featured in the 2010 film Leap Year (film)

Leap Year (film)

Leap Year is a 1921 comedy film directed by and starring Roscoe Arbuckle. The film was never released in the United States, due to Arbuckle's involvement in the Virginia Rappe death scandal.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle - Stanley Piper...

starring Amy Adams

Amy Adams

Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...

 and Matthew Goode

Matthew Goode

Matthew William Goode is an English actor. His notable films have included Match Point, Watchmen, Brideshead Revisited, Leap Year, Imagine Me and You and A Single Man.-Early life:...

. The castle is said to be the tenth wonder in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. In the movie the character of Anna Brady asks Declan "So, what's the story with this place?" He replies, "Hundreds of years ago, there was this beautiful girl called Grainne. She was promised in marriage to marry this fella called Fionn. He was kind of a cranky old warlord old enough to be her grandfather. And therefore, she wasn't in love with him. On the night of their betrothal, whom did she meet but a handsome young warrior--Diarmuid. They fell madly in love at first sight. But well, what could she do? She slips a sleeping potion in everyone's drinks and the pair of them run off together across the Shannon. Fionn wakes, and there's Grainne gone. Well, he goes mental. Takes his army and heads off in hot pursuit. But it was the people, you know, the people in the villages of Ireland--they took pity on Diarmuld and Grainne. They hid them in forests and in their barns and castles where they'd sleep one night and then they'd move on. Sleep was all they did. 'Cause Diarmuid, good man that he was suffering the old guilt about two timing Fionn and out of respect for him didn't take it any further. And then they came to this castle...and this view. And its said, you know, that unable to reist such beauty that here...in this place, they consummated their love."