Ring Forts

Ring of Kerry


Some 3km northwest of Cahersiveen, two extraordinary stone ring forts situated 600m apart are reached from a shared parking area. Cahergal, the larger and more impressive, dates from the 10th century and has stairways on the inside walls, a clochán (circular stone building, shaped like an old-fashioned beehive), and the remains of a roundhouse. The smaller, 9th-century Leacanabuile contains the outlines of four houses. Both have a commanding position overlooking Ballycarbery Castle and Valentia Harbour, with superb views of the Kerry mountains.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ring of Kerry attractions

1. Ballycarbery Castle

0.45 MILES

The atmospheric – and decidedly dangerous-looking – ivy-strangled remains of 16th-century Ballycarbery Castle stand amid green pastures 3km northwest of…

2. Old Barracks Heritage Centre

1.64 MILES

Established in response to the Fenian Rising of 1867, the Royal Irish Constabulary barracks at Cahersiveen were built in an eccentric Bavarian-Schloss…

3. O'Connell's Birthplace

2.45 MILES

At the bridge across the Carhan River on the eastern edge of town, a neat little memorial park remembers Daniel O'Connell (1775–1847), 'the Great…

4. Valentia Island Heritage Centre

2.51 MILES

Inside the old school on the road towards Geokaun Mountain, this intriguing local museum has a treasure trove of artefacts that tell the tale of the…

5. Glanleam House & Gardens

3.24 MILES

Built as a linen mill in the 1770s, this estate was transformed from 1808 when its owner established its 16-hectare gardens with exotic plants from around…

6. Tetrapod Trackway

3.88 MILES

This string of small depressions in an exposed sandstone bedding surface next to the sea may not be as spectacular as dinosaur footprints, but these…

7. Geokaun Mountain

4.68 MILES

The local landowner has transformed the island's highest point, Geokaun (266m), into a network of easy walking trails and viewpoints, with a breathtaking…

8. Skellig Experience

6.43 MILES

Immediately across the bridge from Portmagee, this distinctive building with a turf-covered roof contains exhibitions on the life of the Skellig Michael…

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