• Sneem, Kerry

Located on the beautiful Ring of Kerry is Staigue Fort. It is not known for what the fort was used but Staigue Fort represents a considerable feat in engineering and construction. It was built without the use of mortar, using just stones placed at a slight angle, lower on the outside than the inside to allow water to run off.

Most famous of the great circular stone cashels, Staigue is also one of the best preserved and conveys a fair idea of how the larger Iron Age fortifications must have looked in their day. A building combining exceptional strength with unexpected architectural flair, it was plainly more than a vernacular ring-fort.

It invites comparison with the Grianan of Aileach in Donegal, with which it shares certain features, and like it may have been a royal residence in the last pre-Christian centuries. Its secluded situation, ringed by a ridge of hills at the head of a narrow valley with a view south to the coast, is very beautiful.

The cashel wall is notable for its uniformity and there are many interesting features for you to see....

• Aghadoe, Killarney, Kerry

An old monastery was founded here by St. Finian the Leper in the 7th century. It is referred to as existing in 992, and a stone church here is mentioned in 1044. The western part of the existing church is the oldest. It was finished in 1158 by Auliff Mor na Cuimsionach, a member of the O'Donoghue family, who was buried here in 1166. It has a Romanesque west doorway, with the innermost order plain, and the two outer ones bearing Romanesque decoration. The east window, with a head and a flower at the intersection, was inserted in the 13th century. The eastern part of the church was added at about the same period; a part of the eastern portion may have served as living quarters at some stage. On top of the south wall is an Ogham stone bearing the inscription BRRUANANN. The nearby round Tower has been much altered, but it still stands to a height of about 22 feet. Parkavonear Castle: In a field to the south-west of the church is a round castle dating from the 13th century. The two storeys which remain are joined by a staircase within the wall, and the first floor has the remains of a fireplace....

• Ballydavid, Dingle, Kerry

The ancient monastery of Kilmalkedar, founded in the seventh century by St Maolcathair, is one of the foremost Early Christian sites of the Dingle Peninsula. The existing church is a twelfth-century building consisting of a nave to which a chancel was added at a later date, as was the usual practice. Many of the features which typify Irish Romanesque architecture are present. The bold antae with animal-head decoration are well preserved, as is the round-headed doorway with blank tympanum. The high pitched gables (one with finial) survive intact, but of the original barrel-vaulted roof only the merest fragments remain. In the nave is a good example of blind colonnading, recalling Cormac's Chapel at Cashel, with which it is often compared. late-Romanesque geometric motifs adorn the columns of the chancel arch.<...

• The Square, Listowel, Kerry

St John's Literary and Arts Centre is located in St John's, a gothic style church, in Listowel Square. The centre includes a theatre, exhibition areas, Tourist Information Office and coffee shop. St. John's Literary Heritage section graphically traces the unique literary tradition of North Kerry. Evidence of its importance is vivid in today's Ireland as exemplified by the large number of contemporary writers indigenous to the area, i.e. John B. Keane, Bryan MacMahon, Brendan Kennelly and J.A. Gaughan. Cultural activities are an integral part of the Centre which features theatrical activities, the vsiual arts on exhibition, poetry readings and varios musical events. Calendar of events available from the Centre or by contacting Tourist Information Offices....

• Dunloe, Kerry

Seven of the eight Ogham stones in this group were discovered in a souterrain at Coolmagort in the nineteenth century and have been set up on this site close to Dunloe Castle. The tallest stone is 8 feet high. There is also a prostrate slab taken from the grounds of nearby Kilbonane church.

Ogham stones were frequently used as lintels in the construction of underground passages. Because of their long protection from exposure, the Dunloe inscriptions are unusually well preserved. All are of a commemorative nature, as is usual in these monuments....

• Dunloe, Kerry

Seven of the eight Ogham stones in this group were discovered in a souterrain at Coolmagort in the nineteenth century and have been set up on this site close to Dunloe Castle. The tallest stone is 8 feet high. There is also a prostrate slab taken from the grounds of nearby Kilbonane church.

Ogham stones were frequently used as lintels in the construction of underground passages. Because of their long protection from exposure, the Dunloe inscriptions are unusually well preserved. All are of a commemorative nature, as is usual in these monuments....

• Tralee, Kerry

A section of the famous Tralee to Dingle Light Railway (1891-1953),  was restored to allow you to experience first hand the thrill of what it is like to be a passenger in a steam train. This is a must for adults and children alike.
It is advisable to contact prior to arranging your visit as the staem train is not always open to the public....

• Ardfert, Kerry

The Abbey was erected on the site of an older monastery  some time after 1216 by Geoffrey de Marisco for the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. The Abbey was dedicated to Our Blessed Lady and by 1302 it was the third richest monastery in the Diocese of Ardfert with its Prior being a Lord of Parliament.

Only the church, with a single long nave, remains. The windows, doors and niches made from sandstone can be dated to the 13th century, while the limestone work including the fine east window were inserted in the 15th century. The Abbey was suppressed in 1576 and the domestic buildings to the south were destroyed by Cromwell's soldiers....

• Beaufort, Killarney, Kerry

Welcome to Kerry Woollen Mills where you can view skills that have been in existence for hundreds of years, as well as purchase high quality goods that will serve as a long lasting reminder of your trip to Ireland....

• Slea Head Drive, Dingle Peninsula, Kerry

When you come to see the Gallarus Oratory, you will see the best preserved early Christian church in Ireland. Built in the 7th or 8th century, Gallarus Oratory is found in natural farmland overlooking Smerwick Harbour on the Dingle Peninsula. It has been exposed to the winds and Atlantic weather for over 1200 years and this stone building to this day remains waterproof.
Its shape, often likened to an upturned boat is unusual, though not unique in early Irish churches. The oratory embodies the pinnacle of dry-stone corbelling, using techniques first developed by Neolithic tomb-makers. The distinctive shape is due to the stones being placed at a slight angle, lower on the outside than the inside to allow water to run off. The oratory remains waterproof to this day.
Measuring 15ft by 10ft, when you step inside the oratory you will experience a life gone by as you stare in awe at this stonework masterpiece.
The Gallarus Oratory Visitor Centre offers visitors the opportunity to explore the Oratory and also to enjoy an audio visual display of the archaeological sites of the peninsula and the history of the Gallarus itself....