Have you ever felt a mysterious tug on your soul to a place you have never before visited?
Rahinnane Castle
Rahinnane Castle, Dingle Peninsula, Ventry, Ireland
When traveling to Ireland was still a dream and tentative plans were barely being considered, I happened across a photo and description of a castle. I knew if I ever made it to Ireland I had to go there. But, it is on private property. Internet reviews said permission had to be given and access is not guaranteed. If granted, wear boots. It could be muddy, and, well, there are cows and sheep.
By the time we were committed to the trip, I had already located the castle on Google Maps. I knew exactly where it was on the Dingle Peninsula and I knew how to get there.
Rahinnane Castle is a short distance outside the small village of Ventry. We stopped at the house and had a wonderful conversation with the owner. Like our son in South Korea, she had a daughter who taught English in several foreign countries. She requested 2 euros, each, to visit the castle. I would have paid twenty. The great thing is that once on the hill, we were allowed to explore anywhere outside and inside the castle, for as long as we wanted ... and, there was no one else there!
Rahinnane Castle
"As you leave the village, if you look straight in front of you, about half-way up the hill, you might be able to make out a circular enclosure within which a ruined building stands. This is Rahinnane Castle and Ringfort (Caisleán Ráthanáin)." — http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/ventry.html
Rahinnane Castle
"Here at Rahinnane an earthen ringfort dating to between 300 and 1000 AD was chosen in the 15th century by the Knight of Kerry as the site for a castle. Separated by a large ditch or fosse about 30 feet deep are two earthen banks, which, long before the castle was built, enclosed a busy farmstead, with houses, sheds, workshops and animal pens. The defences of this ringfort were not for military purposes, but were to keep out wild animals and as a protection against cattle raids which were common in Ireland at the time...." (site marker)
Free-standing arches (arcading)
Rahinnane Castle interior
"The castle inside the fort is a two-storeyed rectangular tower. The ground floor was probably used for storage, while the hall was situated on the upper floor and has unusual arcading [free-standing arches]." (site marker)
Rahinnane Castle interior
"The old ringfort defences were strengthened when the castle was built. Rahinnane was attacked and destroyed during the Cromwellian Wars." (site marker)
It was a great experience having the opportunity to be inside, outside and all around the castle.