Ross Castle
A lakeside citadel steeped in legend
Ross Castle
A lakeside citadel steeped in legend
Limited Access
Escorted visits hourly 10:00 – 17:00 (maximum 6 per visit).
Pre-booking essential by calling 064-6635851.
Ross Castle will close for the 2021 season on 16 November .
Admission
Free
Follow us
Ross Castle
Ross Castle perches in an inlet of Lough Leane. It is likely that the Irish chieftain O’Donoghue Mór built it in the fifteenth century.
Legend has it that O’Donoghue still slumbers under the waters of the lake. Every seven years, on the first morning of May, he rises on his magnificent white horse. If you manage to catch a glimpse of him you will enjoy good fortune for the rest of your life.
Ross Castle was the last place in Munster to hold out against Cromwell. Its defenders, then led by Lord Muskerry, took confidence from a prophecy holding that the castle could only be taken by a ship. Knowing of the prophecy, the Cromwellian commander, General Ludlow, launched a large boat on the lake. When the defenders saw it, this hastened the surrender – and the prophecy was fulfilled.
Gallery
Opening Times
Ross Castle will close for the 2021 season on 16 November .
Notice
Challenging access for visitors with mobility issues — very steep incline.
Please note that this site is a very busy site and visitors may experience a delay during the summer months.
All groups of 10 people or more must be pre-booked.
Contact
Ross Castle,
Ross Road,
Killarney,
Co. Kerry
V93 V304
064 663 5851
rosscastle@opw.ie
Facilities
- Brochure
- Car park
- Exhibition
- Gift Shop
- Guided tours
- Interpretive exhibit
- Museum
- Walking trails
- Wheelchair Accessible
Restrictions
- Hold hand rail
- Uneven walkways
Nearby sites to visit
You might also like
Parke’s Castle
Walk in the footsteps of planters and Gaels
Aughnanure Castle
A historical gem in the heart of Connemara
Dungarvan Castle
Journey back to the dawn of Anglo-Norman rule in Ireland
Portumna Castle and Gardens
Seventeenth-century splendour on the shores of Lough Derg
Ormond Castle
Discover a Tudor gem
Desmond Castle Newcastlewest
Where sounds of medieval revelry echo around the walls
Social Guide
Download, print and read our social guide (PDF) about visiting Ross Castle. This will help first-time visitors, families and people with developmental and learning disabilities to prepare for a visit to Ross Castle.
Download the Social Guide