Co. Kerry, Ireland
Ross Castle
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Just outside of Killarney township on Lough Leane.
V93 V304
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Free.
There’s a paved parking lot just off the road and not a far walk from the castle grounds.
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Admission is €5 and tours run hourly.
You are free to roam around the lake and grounds, including a small gallery one the first floor, but to go into the castle you have to take a tour.
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Pros: I learned a ton about castles from the tour.
Cons: The tour is mandatory to see the inside of the castle.
There’s not much to see as the grounds are fairly small.
It’s popular so there’s a lot of foot traffic people.
You can’t take photos inside.
History
Ross Castle is a 15th century castle in the popular tower style situated on the edge of Lough Leane.
While it was the first castle I visited in Ireland that was treated like a heritage site, it was one of my least favorites. Although it appears large, it’s actually a very small castle. A tour is mandatory to see the inside of the tower. No photos were allowed, which definitely sucked.
On the flip side, the tour explained a lot about medieval times and castle culture, so I do suggest taking a guided tour of a castle, just not necessarily this one.
