Castlelough Castle

Castlelough Castle, also known as Castle Lough or McCarthy Mor Castle, lies on a low promontory (once an island) in Lough Leane in Killarney, in County Kerry in Ireland.

It is not known when exactly Castlelough Castle was first built. It may have been founded in the early 13th century by the Anglo-Norman De Roches. In 1262 there was a battle between Gaelic forces and Anglo-Norman forces during which the Anglo-Norman knight Gerald Roche was killed. Afterwards the Gaelic MacCarthys ruled South Kerry from their Castlelough, Pallas and Ballycarbery castles.

In 1390 the King of Desmond; Donal Og MacCarthy, died here.

The castle remained in the MacCarthy family until the reign of King George II in the mid-18th century. Then they sold it to William Crosbie, a British colonel. By then it probably was already in ruins as a new mansion was built on the shore which would later grow out to be the present Lake Hotel.

Although Castlelough Castle is now an ornament on the grounds of the hotel it is freely accessible during daytime. A rather dull ruin without many recognizable features but on a nice location. Ross Castle is nearby.

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