Minard Castle

Minard Castle, County Kerry
Photo © Rene van Linde, 10 January 2006

Lispole (Irish: Lios Póil) is a Gaeltacht village in County Kerry in Ireland. It is situated on the Dingle Peninsula 5 miles east of Dingle and 25 miles west of Tralee

Minard Castle is situated on a piece of land stretching out into the sea in the parish of Minard, near Lispole. A considerable portion of the castle remains. Walter Hussey, a Norman who settled in Dingle, had a garrison there in 1641. Colonels Lehunt and Sadler beseiged the castle. The castle defenders, being short of ammunition, were forced to use pewter bullets. As soon as the besiegers noticed this, they approached the castle by stealth, placed a charge under it, and blew up a great section. It is interesting to note that the beach near the castle is a natural storm beach, the boulders being thrown up by the sea during storms.

MINARD, a parish, in the union of Tralee, barony of CORKAGUiNEY, couuty of Kerry, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (E. S.E.) from Dingle, on the road to Tralee; containing 1666 inhabitants. It is situated on the northern side of the bay of Dingle: near the shore are the ruins of Minard Castle, which was built by one of the Knights of Kerry. "his castle was defended in 1650 by its proprietor, Walter Hussey, against the parliamentary forces under Colonels Le Hunt and Sadler, who, finding that they could not make much impression by cannonading it from a fortification, said to have been erected for that purpose (and of which the remains still exist), sprung a mine in the vaults beneath, and blew it up. The parish comprises 6056 statute acres, of which nearly one-half is arable land.

TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY IRELAND VOL. II.