Walk through the lintelled doorway
A single square-headed entrance with double lintels leads down a 1.8 m passage into the fort's interior - the only way in and out of the 27 m enclosure.
Staigue Stone Fort
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About
An enormous drystone ring fort at the head of a Kerry valley, built without a drop of mortar around 2,000 years ago and still standing 5.5 m tall. It is free, unstaffed and open year-round.
Things to Do
Climb the X-shaped stairways
Ten flights of steps, arranged in X shapes, run up the inside of the wall to narrow ramparts near the top. There are no barriers, so watch children and the drop.
Duck into the wall chambers
Two small corbelled souterrain chambers are hidden inside the thickness of the wall. The north-western one opens into a stone-roofed room around 2 m high.
Look down over Kenmare Bay
The fort stands on a low hill at the head of a valley, with a fine view south to Kenmare Bay and the surrounding Kerry hills.
Preview it in virtual reality
Voices from the Dawn hosts a walk-through VR tour of the fort, useful for deciding which stairway and chamber to head for first.
Take in the scale from above
The rampart is roughly 4 m thick at the base and narrows to about 2 m at the top, enclosing a circle 27.4 m across.
Time your visit for sunset
Fuchsia lines the path up and the evening light on the drystone walls is the memory most visitors take home; there are no gates or closing times beyond daylight.
Plan Your Visit
- Hours: Open all year round, during daylight hours; no guided tours or staffed hours.
- Admission: Free. There is no ticket booth, just an honesty box at the gate asking for a contribution towards upkeep.
- Parking: A small car park sits near the entrance, maintained by Kerry County Council, with a short walking trail up to the fort. The approach road is narrow with blind spots, so drive slowly.
- Food: NONE_PLACEHOLDER
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