History
Standing on the edge of a cliff in Ballybunion (County Kerry), what is left of the castle after centuries of battles, sieges and natural events, is an outstanding 12m high facade spoiled with a breathtaking view of the ocean. Cliffs, caverns and the stunning sandy Ladies beach (or North beach) on one side and Men’s beach (or South beach) on the other side create the frame for an unforgivable painting.
Built inside an existing promontory fort, originally established by the Clann Conaire (O’ Connor) [1, 2], the story of Ballybunion castle begins in the early 16th century, when it was erected for Edmond Fitzmaurice, 10th Lord of Kerry, belonging to the Geraldines of West Limerick [1-3]. The Bonzons (also known as Bunyans, which gave the name to the town [4]) were then occupying the castle as caretakers, under the approval of the Geraldines, who resided at Lixnaw. In 1582, the castle was destroyed by the Lord of Kerry and the property was alienated to William Og Bunyan (1583), who supported the Desmond rebellion [1, 2]. From 1604 the castle was reassigned to the Fitzmaurices, who submitted to King James, and stayed under their ownership till mid 18th century [1, 2].
In 1783, the Fitzmaurice family sold Ballybunion Castle to Richard Hare [1, 2] and since 1923 it has been a national monument and preserved by the Office of Public Works [3, 4].
In the 1960s the Castle was sold to Kerry Co. Council, responsible to preserve and maintain the ruin [1, 2].
During winter 1998, the castle was struck by lightning and the upper part of the tower was damaged [2, 3]. In 2014, the Office of Public Works ordered some work to stabilize the wall core and the foundation on one side of the Castle [1, 3].
Surprisingly, in 1987 a souterrain was discovered, connecting the south cliff face to the castle but, because the underground has collapsed, it stops before reaching the castle [1, 5].
