Kilcoe Castle, Cork, Ireland | An historic Irish Castle to hire

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Scotland

• Ackergill Tower, by Wick
• Aldourie Castle, Loch Ness
• Archerfield House, East Lothian
• The Atholl, Edinburgh
• Balfour Castle, Orkney
• Birkhill Castle, Fife
• Corrour Lodge, by Fort William
• Cumloden House, Wigtownshire
• Drummuir Castle, Banffshire
• Fenton Tower, East Lothian
• Ferniehirst Castle, Scottish Borders
• Gilmerton House, East Lothian
• Gordon Castle, Morayshire
• Hoscote House, Scottish Borders
• The Howard, Edinburgh
• Inveraray Castle, Argyll
• Kincardine Castle, Aberdeenshire
• Lennoxlove House, East Lothian
• One Devonshire Gardens, Glasgow
• Pitcastle, Perthshire
• Roshven House, Lochailort
• Skibo Castle, Sutherland
• Tower of Lethendy, Perthshire

England

• Althorp, Northamptonshire
• Battens House, Hampshire
• Boxted Hall, Suffolk
• Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire
• Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire
• Cornwell Manor, Oxfordshire
• Eastcourt House, Cotswolds
• Hotel Endsleigh, Dartmoor
• Knights Farm, Warwickshire
• Langton Park, Wiltshire
• Pamflete, Devon
• Sherbourne House, Warwickshire
• Somerleyton Hall, Suffolk
• Spencer Manor, Somerset

Ireland

• Ballinlough Castle, Co. Meath
• Ballyfin , Co.Laois
• Ballynure, Co. Wicklow
• Churchtown House, Co. Kerry
• Kilcoe Castle, Co. Cork
• Lismore Castle, Co. Waterford
• Ross Castle, Co. Galway

Kilcoe Castle, Co. Cork, Ireland

Kilcoe Castle is the real thing, built around 1450 by the clan of Dermot MacCarthy on a two-acre island in Roaringwater Bay.

The MacCarthys were a sub-tribe of the McCarthy Reaghs of Kilbrittan, who had originated in the Blarney area. Kilcoe Castle has quite a history. 

Superbly located, from a defensive point of view, it proved a hard nut to crack in battle and was one of the last castles in Carberry to fall to the English forces after the Battle of Kinsale. 

After a lengthy siege, Conor O'Driscoll finally surrendered in 1603. After the 1600s it fell into disrepair and it was only in 1966 that James Caverly, the farmer who owns the surrounding land, registered the castle.  In 1972 he sold it to Edward Samuel, who built a bridge connecting the castle to the main land, but baulked at the cost of restoring the building.

In 1998 the present owner began Kilcoe's restoration, regarded as one of the most painstaking undertakings of its kind in Ireland.

The Castle was restored over a number of years from a complete ruin into a wonderful 5 bedroom vacation home.

The property is not suitable for the very young or the very elderly as there are a mass of very steep steps and winding corridors. However for the hale & hearty seeking a wonderful adventure, it's impossible to think of a better experience than to spend a few days at Kilcoe. There is an incredible energy about the place and it is so very romantic.

The bedrooms are small but comfortable and the bathrooms perfectly functional. This home is very quirky and really suited to guests who enjoy a bit of an adventure!

There is a large central living area where you can relax in front of the fire, eat your meals prepared by the owner's chef and generally hang out below a huge vaulted ceiling. The exclusive use castle has been filled with amazing artefacts collected by the owner on his travels and is very bohemian. Kilcoe is so unusual that it is a struggle to describe it properly and it really needs to be experienced first hand.

Suffice it to visitors will be completely charmed by Kilcoe Castle and indeed many of our guests will be too. The property is perched on the rocks overlooking a huge bay and enjoys spectacular views in every direction.

Guests can enjoy amazing fishing trips, rides along the beach, golf outings and long lunches in the pub. There is normal time and then there is West Cork time and the latter is very elastic!!