Half of a 15th-century Anglo-Norman fortress still stands above the River Feale, and the OPW shows it off with free guided tours. It was the last Fitzmaurice stronghold to fall to Elizabethan forces, holding out for 28 days in the 1600 siege.
Access to the upper floors is by guided tour only, and the OPW tours are free. Guides recount how the garrison of just 18 rebels held the castle for 28 days against 300 English soldiers before surrendering in 1600. Tours last around 40 minutes and groups are capped at 12; photography is not allowed during tours.
Steep, winding stone staircases lead up the two surviving towers, each over 15 m high, past the rooms where the lords of Kerry, their servants and soldiers lived.
From the top of the external staircase you are rewarded with one of the best panoramic views in Listowel, taking in Listowel Racecourse and the River Feale.
The compact visitor centre in the castle grounds introduces the site's history, from its 13th-century origins and 15th-century rebuilding by the Fitzmaurices to its fall to Sir Charles Wilmot in 1600, and is where tours begin.
Carved high on the northern face of the wall is a grim stone head, Tomás an Ápa (Thomas the Ape), said to represent the local Norman lord Thomas FitzGerald.
Next door, the Seanchaí - Kerry Literary and Cultural Centre covers Listowel's literary figures such as John B. Keane, and its wheelchair-accessible toilet is available to castle visitors.
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