Ross Castle

When we went between Christmas and New year the castle was closed. But the sorounding areas are fantastic with great views covering the lake, castle and bridges. A lot of space to walk and be in contact with nature. Good space for free parking 2 minutes walking to the castle. Recommended.

Castle isn't so spectacular, but its location and surroundings are pretty to wander around. There is a cafe and sheltered place near the castle which helped us to wait for the rain to stop. Then we walked around the Ross Island which was nice. We were on a road trip touring Ireland with our own car. I picked castles and national parks as stopovers to walk/ hike and have picnics. This is a nice stopover place.

Lovely castle with lovely setting. Care needs to be taken to not feed and avoid the numerous tourists which freely roam the grounds in all directions. They may look placid but could scatter and stampede at any time.

The room downstairs was free to visit but you had to pay to see the rest of the inside of the castle. You can't take photos. The grounds are beautiful and you can get a tour of the lake

Lovely castle. We arrived at around 9am on a weekday morning and it was very quiet which we made the most of as the tourist buses started turning up around 9.30 and shortly after it got very very busy! We didn't pay to go into the castle but you can walk around it and enjoy the stunning views and it is a nice spot to go for a walk.

Lovely location. It’s super accessible from the carpark. We didn’t go inside the tour as it is guided tours only and we had just missed one so didn’t want to wait for the next. We did go on a boat tour though and it was lovely! Great scenery and a great tour guide who even let us drive the boat. The little cafe was amazing and we had some fab snacks there.

First castle for me during my first trip to Ireland. This was a great experience overall. It may not be as impressive as some other castles in IE, but it is free and definitely worth a visit. Clean bathrooms available on site and lots to explore around the grounds. Parking can be limited at peak times and/or peak season, so plan accordingly.

We had the loveliest tour with Marie at sunset and were the only guests since it was the last tour of the day. Marie was so knowledgeable and also had a great sense of humor! She was pleased to learn that we were from the Philadelphia region, which tied into the history of Ross Castle. It was a wonderful way to end our day after driving the Ring of Kerry. Marie also shared some great tips with us after learning about our upcoming travel plans. Thanks Marie!

What a beautiful castle! With our packed itinerary, we didn't have time for a tour of the inside, but I was pleased to find I could easily walk the grounds and see the lake on my own. The castle is positioned waterfront with a gorgeous view at sunset. It was after closing time when i arrived, so the doors to the castle were closed, and lots of little boats that appeared to be tour related were closing up as well. I imagine a boat tour would be amazing here. I still enjoyed walking the grounds and seeing the very inside of the remaining castle walls. Lakeview was gorgeous. If planning our trip again, I would definitely budget more time here.

I didn't go inside this castle but it was a nice stop just to take pictures from the outside. There surrounding canal with canoes was cute as well.

Our tour group took jaunting cars (horse drawn buggies) from our hotel, through the national park, and ended up at Ross Castle. The scenery around Ross Castle is absolutely gorgeous. The ruins are right on the water, and everywhere you looked was a picture waiting to happen. It's not a large area, so it doesn't take long to explore, but it's so picturesque it's definitely worth it. Our group happen to see a red deer cross under the bridge to get to the castle, and then start grazing in front of the area, so it just added a little extra to our experience.

Beautiful from the water of the shire! There is plenty of parking, many trails and yiu can pay to enter. The grounds are no charge. Boats are extra. There is a food stand and bathrooms ... oh and picnic table area. Many jaunting carts leave from here as well.

Ross Castle is steep in Irish history and since it's in the middle of a national park, you can visit for free. Or you can choose to book a trip with Killarney Tours. €32 per person gets you a ride in a "jaunting car" (a horse carriage) from the Killarney City Centre, and also a boat ride around Lough Leane. It's about a 40 minute carriage ride from the City Centre through the national park, and a little more than an hour cruise to tour the lough. The carriage ride takes you from the city, and straight into the wooded areas of the beautiful national park. Very awesome views on this ride and the carriage driver had a lot of history about the castle, and interesting anecdotes to share. After I arrived at the castle, I had time to explore for a bit before boarding the boat ride to tour the lough. The captain was also a wonderful tour guide and had plenty of stories about the history of the Ross Castle, as well as the history of the land around the lough. Plenty of gorgeous mountain scenery to take in on the boat tour. If you do only one thing, I highly recommend the boat tour. The scenery is spectacular. Most of the outer walls of the castle still stand, but there's not a lot of interior areas to tour. If you book through Killarney Tours, they will also shuttle you back to your hotel after the boat tour. BUT, they don't rush you. They allow you plenty of time to take a self guided tour of the Ross Castle before you leave. Killarney Tours info can be found here: http://www.killarneylaketours.ie/choose-a-tour/combination-tour.html

We arrived at Ross Castle by boat. It looked gorgeous from across the water. The first thing that I learned was that it was built in the late 15th century and is surprisingly in good shape. Like most properties it changed ownership several times and is currently privately owned and operated by the Office of Public Works. The castle is surrounded by a wall and has two towers. There are five floors with each one having a specific use. They offer guided tours or you can just mosey around the property on your own. There is at least one resident cat on the property that took the time to properly greet us. It was not my most favorite of all the castles that we visited by it is worthy of your time. Legend tells us that the original owner (O'Donoghue) is in a deep sleep under the waters of Lough Leane. It is said that O'Donoghue jumped into the lake from the window of the great hall at the top of the castle. He was never seen again but is known to be watching the castle. Every seven years on the first morning of May he arises from the lake on his white horse and makes a circle around the lake. If you are fortunate enough to see this you will be blessed with good fortune for the rest of your life.

The Ross Castle was a fun tour that I highly recommend and learn how the castles are built and learn what the functions of each floor was used for the family, guards, and castl

The Ross Castle is absolutely stunning, one of my favorite that I visited while in Ireland. I love that there is a park where people go to relax and sit by the water, gazing at this mighty fortress. The body of water the castle is located by is calm and so serene. I was also thoroughly impressed that there was a public restroom behind the castle, even though it is a public park, and it was pristinely clean. I would have to say that I was most relaxed and content sitting by the water looking at the castle, symbolic of all the history, right in front of my eyes. This castle is definitely a highlight and a must see when in Killarney.

We did the tour with Peter and he was excellent! He was super kind and the tour was very informative. Glad we did this, thank you Peter!

As descendants of the O'Donoghue clan, original occupants of the Ross Castle, we've visited a few times over the past two decades. We have taken the guided tour twice, once before the renovation and once after. Quite a difference! The grounds and the castle are gorgeous, restored to its original splendor. Our guide was so charming and knowledgeable, we had a blast hearing about what life was like for the original O'Donoghue clan. Be sure to bring a few € each to tip the guide and wear sturdy shoes. Navigating the tight stairwells can be a challenge.

It doesn't take long to see, but it's a lovely place in a lovelier park.

Ross Castle is located by the edge of Killarney town's lower lake (Lough Leane) and was built in the 15th century. From the back of the castle, you can just make out Inisfallen Island (home to a 7th century monastery) The Castle has apparently been quite well restored and is open to visitors ONLY via a guided tour which costs €4 per person and is only available during the months of April to October. But it's free to stroll around the grounds throughout the year. I didn't go inside as we had to get to Cork and had just missed a tour. From all the photos I've seen, this castle looks spectacular from the water, so def try and get a board trip. There's boat trips that leave from the docks behind the castle and these go to Inisfallen Island and around The Lakes of Killarney. The entrance also has a jaunting car stand (aka horse-drawn carriages) and these can take you around town and other places of interest in Killarney. Frankly, lovely as Ross castle is, in my opinion if you only had a couple of hours to spend in Kilarney, I would suggest going to the Muckross Estate instead which comprises heaps of attractions within it's grounds like a lovely Victorian fairytale manor where Queen Victoria slept ($ fee), fabulous English Gardens (free) a Traditional Farm attraction ( $fee) an abbey (free) and info about Killarney National Park. Note: #256 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016

The Ross Castle site is free to visit and is easily accessed within the Killarney National Park. There is a healthy supply of nearby parking or you can take a "Jaunting Car" to and from town. If you want to tour the castle (and you MUST!) it will cost you 5 euros. The 45min guided tour is well worth the price. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable - quick to answer the barrage of questions thrown her way by the children that joined us on the tour. She was fluent in the history of the architecture, tower house tenants, and middle ages - we learned things we didn't know we wanted to know! Ross Castle is a perfect balance of careful restoration and authenticity and is full of period furniture. Sadly, photography is not allowed inside the castle, but trust me - you'll want to see this one for yourself! By far our favorite "ruin" we visited in Ireland.

If your in Killarney it's a nice pit stop to see the castle, but there are so many around Ireland that I wouldn't say it's the best castle I've seen or been to. Every castle has its history and story. What makes it so nice that it's next to lake adding more ambience to the castle. I went after Christmas so it was chilly but still beautiful. Tons of birds to see also

A small but stunning castle in the middle of the National Park. It is on the river bank and you can spend a good time seeing the castle, taking pictures and watching the swans and ducks (bring some bread for treats). This would be a perfect place to picnic and watch the river and boats go by. Worth seeing, definitely!

ROSS CASTLE Ross Castle in Killarney has been much changed since it was started in the 15th century. It was falling away dangerously some years back but a long period of work by the Office of Public Works has seen it re-opened to the public. It is a popular and busy site and you could well have delays during the summer months. It overlooks the famous lakes and there are fine views, views that you may enjoy without entering the castle itself. There are some pleasant walks in the vicinity (most notably through the National Park) and also places where you may picnic. Boats can be hired here.

Ross Castle was one of the final stops along our drive of the Ring of Kerry. There is ample parking and a lovely view of the lake from the grounds. We did not take the guided tour since there were a couple other places we wanted to visit before they closed. We walked the perimeter and noted how well preserved the castle is. 3 stars.

Lots of history with this castle and worth taking a local tour. Lots to explore on the inside and great pictures. Right on the lake so if it rains you might get to see a rainbow like I did.

I went on the tour of Ross Castle, which cost me only two euro which I was delighted with! The tour was great, and we had a very knowledgeable guide, however I had to leave the tour early as I just could not bring myself to climb the steep stairs. I walked back downstairs and was subsequently rushed outside by a receptionist into the rain, even though I had paid for the tour, and was waiting on a friend to return from it. Felt a little sore after that, but in general I would recommend this tour to history buffs, as the castle was built during the 1500's and boasts a colourful history to say the least!

Cool Castle, Cool Tour The price is modest, especially when considering the included guided tour. It is certainly not the largest castle in Ireland, but the restoration work and the informative tour are most enjoyable indeed.

bf and i were quite excited about spending some time in the outdoors over in killarney...ross castle turned out to be an awesome castle in killarney national park... you can bring a little picnic (sandwiches from the gas station across from hotel!), enjoy it on the grounds (lucky for us, blue skies all the way!), and then rent yourself a rowboat and fishing pole and row over to check out the monestary across the way (be careful to heed any wind/direction suggestions from the locals...they def know the lake!)!

You know the best part of Ross castle was the walk down to it from the st Mary's! Honestly I'm not sure why the Irish try to talk you out of a good stretch of the legs. We walked down to it thru the most beautiful greenway walkways. Seriously do that. You don't need to be in excellent shape but if you can walk at home for 30 min. You can do it in Ireland. Very few hills and nice and flat. Just walk round the horse poop. Oh the castle was fine. Seriously thou I'd seen 3 at this point and was fine on this one.

While you are spoilt for choice for visiting castles when in Ireland, Ross Castle in County Kerry was spectacular. It dates back to the 15th century. It is on a huge lake with hills and woodland around it, very atmospheric. The castle is very interesting, you are taken on a guided tour with a small number of people. There is also a temporary exhibition space. You can also take boat trips on the lake which I'd highly recommend.

TAKE THE CASTLE TOUR! It's a fascinating, informative, and realistic dive into castle life. DO NOT take the tour if want to hold on to Disney-esque ideas of castle life. Disney doesn't tell you how Anna and Elsa keep fleas of their clothes but the Ross Castle tour guides will!

Small and stunning, you can walk up and around the castle overlooking the water. There are horse and carriage tours that start from this point as well as boat tours to the Gap of Dunloe, which is what we did - really great spot.

A cool castle, beautiful scenery overlooking a gorgeous lake. Take the tour to see the inside of the castle, it lasts about 30-40 minutes and is VERY informative. There is a tremendous amount of history here and well worth a visit.

Great location for the castle. The views of the water are so peaceful. Nice walk around the grounds.

The place of choice for many wedding photos! Castles in nice and great to chill out there with the kids. Loads of swans and duck around and many bring bread to feed the ducks.

There is a nice view of the lake but the castle is not very interesting...

Magnificent small castle on the banks of a river / lough . Wonderful photo opportunities here ....and along the river where all the colorful boats are tied up in succession . Peaceful and makes you feel as if you are back in the days of yore ....no things of this century clutter the grounds .