Staigue Stone Fort

Beautifully preserved & restored stone fort. It gives glorious views of the landscape around, and is both free & accessible. Small car park nearby

A unique stop along the Ring of Kerry! It was lashing rain but we still enjoyed going into the fort and even climbing up the rocks a bit. The scenery is stunning with sheep roaming around. I especially enjoyed the local paintings sold at the entrance and purchased one with an image of the fort on it. A lovely keepsake!

The opportunity to stand inside Staigue Stone Fort and consider how many lives had passed over that ground in the 1700 years since it was built was wonderful ... and thought provoking. The roadway in is a bit of a challenge as it is several KM's of single lane, but everyone was polite, pulled over, and passage was achieved by all. There is a parking lot for about 20 cars, as well as public toilets. There is a 2 Euro fee box at the entry. The fort is well maintained and the view is extraordinary, from the treeless bowl surrounding it to the distant ocean.

Fascinating look into the past with a nominal entry fee on the honor system. But beware! The road in from the Ring of Kerry is one lane and very narrow!

Absolute amazing experience! You can look around this great structure with a stunning view. The history is so intriguing and going inside the walls is jsut a lot of fun!

Easy to get to and plenty of parking! Beautiful views and really fun to explore! There is a donation box so make sure you have some cash on you.

Comparable to Cahergal Stone Fort, without the middle section. Decent size, decent view. I liked this one but if you are really tight for time, Cahergal (Kerry) and Grianan of Aileach (Donegal) are better experiences in my opinion. Definitely better views, especially the one in Donegal!! Sept 4, 2024.

Ruins of an old chieftain stronghold, all built without mortar. It’s 1€ per person by donation, and free to roam once inside. You can also climb on top the walls. Worth the drive from the main ring of Kerry, road a bit narrow but well worth it !

It was an easy drive off the main Ring of Kerry road to get to the fort. It ended in a turnaround/parking lot. A bathroom was located here though it wasn't in very good shape. A push gate and voluntary admission box was the only gating items before walking towards the fort. There was limited information posted about this fort so most of what we did learn was via online searches. The fort itself was in very good condition and we were impressed with its construction. This dry walling method has withstood thousands of years in almost its original configuration. There were a couple of openings at the base of the wall that a person could duck inside. It was a bit larger than expected maybe used for storage or shelter but definitely warmer in here. Worth the drive out if you have the time. I thought this fort was more accessible versus the ring forts near Cahersiveen and cheaper than Caherconnel.

Have you ever seen the movie called Rat Race? Well a few times during the drive to this attraction I thought "should have bought a squirrel". Going down winding road after winding road, with grass growing in the middle of them, I did begin to wonder if there was a fort at all. But we turned a corner and we were there. At the car park at least. The fort still out of site, I could see other visitors making their way to a gate. At said gate was an honesty box where you paid a trespass fee of 1 EUR. With our debt settled, we moved on and finally the fort came into sight. And a wonderful fort it is too. So sturdy and well constructed, it has held its shape impeccably since its construction. You can climb up onto the walls too, where you can see the sea from. Staigue Fort is definitely worth the diversion off the Wild Atlantic Way. Recommended.

The Staigue Stone Fort is another contender for favorite place we visited in Ireland. At the very least, it was my favorite stone fort. I'm not sure it's possible to drive across Ireland without stumbling upon a ring fort. This one is different. It's very well preserved and has stairs that you can easily walk up and stand on the upper wall. The design of it is really quite brilliant. It is situated on a hill and overlooks the sea. To get to the fort, you first drive down a tiny road. It is the same road you take back out so beware two way traffic. We were following a tour van and there were times where it was being scratched from the bushes on both sides. It wasn't incredibly busy so we didn't have to pull over or back up on our way in or out which was fortunate because there weren't many opportunities for passing. Once you arrive, there's a fair amount of parking. You go through a gate and drop 1 euro per person into a little drop box. There is nothing but your conscious to make sure you pay but after visiting, the 1 euro fee seems nominal. It's a short walk down a cleared path to the fort. We spent a fair amount of time inside and at one point, we were the only ones. It was the perfect opportunity for a 360 degree panoramic photo! It was so peaceful being alone in the fort and imagining what it would have been like to live at the time when the fort was in use. Very cool. 5 stars.

If you didn't know it was there, you would never stumble across Staigue Stone Fort. Which is a real shame, as it's considered one of the greatest examples of Iron Age fortresses still standing in all of Ireland. It's located approximately 4k off N70, the Ring of Kerry, after the town of Sneem and very near Castlecove. You pass through farm fields of sheep and cows as you jostle towards Staigue. And when it comes into view, it's breathtaking: huge, thick stone walls rise before you with rolling, imperfect tops that have been chiseled away over the nearly 2,500 years that Staigue Fort has been standing. You'll probably be alone on your visit to the Fort. Again, a shame, but also a wonderful and eerie way to enjoy your time there. Climbing up the "steps" to the top of the fort walls, you have 360 degree views of the surrounding, gorgeous Irish landscape. It's just amazing to be able to stand on the very stones that were laid by hands thousands of years ago, and amazing to see that the Fort has remained in such fabulous shape. An incredibly worthy visit when you're on the Ring, for sure.

You'll find this fort tucked away on a side road a few miles past Sneem. If you pay a visit, you're pretty much on your own. There are no tour guides, very little in the way of signage providing background on the fort. To be honest, I was alright with that. The topography and the scenery is quite impressive, so why not just soak it in. There's a bathroom (in rather good condition I might add when I used it) adjacent to the parking lot. As you walk into the fort's area, you'll be asked to pay a "trespass fee" of one euro. You drop the money in a metal box, so very much the honor system. The fort itself is pretty impressive. The fort was built without mortar and it's amazing engineering to see the work on display. There are stairs built into the fort....climb up to the top to survey the land around you and get a better glimpse towards the ocean.

Nice fort, but it also continues the tradition of Ireland's tourist trade trying to eke out every euro it can from people. This place has a one euro "trespass fee" for visitors as of July 5, 2013. On the one hand, I can understand that tourism is a major part of the economy. But it gets a bit tiresome when every historical structure, rock circle, random tree, etc. in Ireland requires an entry fee; it feels like paying to look at the Grand Canyon--or, probably more accurately, to look at Stonehenge. To me, there are some attractions that are archaic enough that they should be open to the world without having to pony up money. But that's just me, I guess. Oddly, Staigue Fort's layout and construction is similar to some of the larger monolithic tombs, which gives rise to some interesting thoughts. But if you are interested in stone fort architecture and some nice views, it's worth a visit.

An approximately 2000 years old fort with 6m high and 4m thick walls and 30m in diameter. It just cost 1€ per adult to see it! Very cool place but attention: The road leading up to the fort is VERY narrow! (The road is going from Castlecove, which is on the Ring of Kerry)