Ring Forts

Some 3km northwest of Cahersiveen, two extraordinary stone ring forts situated 600m apart are reached from a shared parking area. Cahergal, the larger and more impressive, dates from the 10th century and has stairways on the inside walls, a clochán (circular stone building, shaped like an old-fashioned beehive), and the remains of a roundhouse. The smaller, 9th-century Leacanabuile contains the outlines of four houses. Both have a commanding position overlooking Ballycarbery Castle and Valentia Harbour, with superb views of the Kerry mountains.