Ballycarbery Castle

Ballycarbery Castle is located just outside the town of Cahersiveen and is a short distance from the ancient Ringforts, Cahergal and Leacanabuile.

Ballycarbery meaning ’Village of Carbery’ so called after Cairbre O’Shea, head of one of the Corca Dhuibhne clans. The Corca Dhuibhne Clans held control of Iveragh from c. 500 to 1300 AD. until they were over-thrown by the powerful MacCarthy clan which held the lands around Killarney. Eventually. the MacCarthys were driven out of Killarney and they moved down into Iveragh and Donal MacCarthy Mor built a fortified residence for his son Tadhg, who was married to the daughter of the 4th Earl of Desmond. It was a perfect location for a stronghold with clear views of Valentia Harbour, Portmagee Channel and the waters of the river right up to Cahersiveen.
This residence is referred to in 1398 when Tadgh MacCarthy’s death there, was noted in the annals, but the existing ruins are known to be of a later construction and are probably those of the castle called Ballycarborow, recorded in a document of 1569.

In 1565 Daniel MacCarthy Mor pledged his loyalty to the Queen of England, who in return gave him the title Earl of Clancar. The MacCarthy Mór clan became extinct in 1596, on the death of Daniel MacCarthy, Earl of Clancar and that pledge of loyalty meant that with no heir, the estate would revert to the Queen.The land was handed over to Trinity College, Dublin, which divided the land and then leased it to landlords who in turn leased the land to tenants and constables were appointed to collect rent. In the Iveragh area, rent was collected by the O’Connell family, ancestors of Daniel, and 16th Century sources indicate that the Castle was actually occupied by the O’Connells who acted as MacCarthy wardens who would have been tenants while ownership of the Castle passed to Sir Valentine Browne, a British MP and Knight of the Realm.

The majority of the perimeter walls were destroyed by Cromwell¹s forces led by General Ludlow in 1652 when it was attacked by continuous cannon-fire. Officialy dated by Leask to the 15th Century, the castle is made up of a tower house surrounded by the remains of a surrounding wall. Much of the South and East walls of both the tower and the perimeter wall are destroyed, mostly probably due to the 1652 attack but it is known that a portion of the southern surrounding wall was dismantled and removed in the early 20th Century to provide building material.