Ardintenant Castle

Ardintenant Castle, Cork
Photo © Mike Searle, 6 July 2007

The ivy clad ruin of Ardintenant or White Castle was built ca. 1310 by the O'Mahonys of West Carbery.

The castle is seated near the eastern point of Skull harbour on the site of an older fortification.

IVAGHA

When the division of the O'Mahony Sept became inevitable Dermod Mor, as the elder brother, might probably have chosen to remain at Rath Raithlean and rule over a much more fertile country than Ivagha. There may, however, have been counterbalancing advantages in the latter country which induced him to prefer it. One circumstance which may have weighed with him was its greater extent of seaboard, and the consequent wealth derived from the fisheries and the harbour dues, as also the facility of trading' with foreign nations. There is no doubt that the dues extracted from foreign vessels which made use of the harbours of Crookhaven, Schull, Dunmanus, &c., must have been very considerable. The chief seats of the Lord of Ivagha were Ardintenant and Three Castle Head, and he is said to have had twelve castles of his own, most of which were built on headlands and sites of ancient forts. The first castle built was that of Dunlochy in 1215. The others were at Ardintenant, Rosbrin, Leamcon, Ballydevlin, Dunmanus, Dunbeacon, &c. Dunmanus Castle was the most recent, and also the largest and best constructed. -- Extract from Kerry Archæological Magazine, 1917-1918