Staigue Fort

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Three miles from Sneem, near the village of Castlecove on the Ring Of Kerry, Ireland, you find Staigue Fort ( Cathair Na Stéige ), one of the largest and finest ring forts you are likely to see in Ireland. It stands on a low hill in an amphitheatre of rugged hills open to the sea on the south. The wall is up to 5 m high, 4m thick and 27.4m in diameter. The interior of the fort is reached through a 1.8m passage roofed with double lintels. The fort is surrounded by a large bank and ditch, to be seen on the north side. Staigue Fort shows skill in building. No mortar was used and the stones are not dressed. The dating is difficult but it may have been built during the Celtic period, probably around the first century BC. There is evidence that copper was excavated in the surrounding area and appears to be a place of worship, an observatory and a place of defence.