Antiquities in Kerry
Co. Kerry contains many forts of the Cashel type, the best-known example of these being Staigue Fort, situated in Kilcrohan parish, barony of Iveragh, Co. Kerry (Accommodation, Kerry, Ireland). It is composed of a circular wall 89 ft. in diameter, nearly 13 ft. thick at the base, and 7 ft. at the top. On the north and west sides the wall is 18 ft. high; the north side of the wall is still perfect, and the coping-stones are flags about 3 feet long ; the construction of the wall is interesting, the stones being laid as headers and filled in with small stones. There is a square-headed doorway with sloping sides on the south ; and there are two small chambers in the fort-one on the west and one on the north side. There are ten sets of stairs around the inside of the wall, leading to platforms and forming the most interesting feature of the fort.
The Kerry (Bed and Breakfasts, Kerry, Ireland) forts, containing stone huts, or Clochans, are very numerous ; they exist in hundreds, and in many cases arc still intact. The remarkable early settlement in the south-west of the barony of Corka-guiney contains many such buildings. It consists of a group of structures which lie along the sea-coast between Ventry Harbour and Dunmore Head, about ten miles from Dingle. The settlement covers about four townlands and verges on three others ; the remains cluster thickly round the lower parts of Mount Eagle and Beennacouma. It is not visible from the road, with the exceptions of the large forts of Dun Beag, and in Kilvickadownig. This remarkable site contains 515 forts, numerous huts, pillar stones, and other remains. The most important building of the entire series is Dun Beag (the little fort), one of the most striking pre-historic antiquities of Ireland. It consists of a stone wall, which cuts off a promontory protected on the landward side by an elaborate system of earthen walls and trenches, the area enclosed being thus triangular in shape, defended on the seaward side with great 
precipices. The height of the fort is about 90-100 ft. above the level of the sea. The edge of the cliff was protected by a dry stone wall, of which about 18 ft. in length and 2 ft. 2 in. in thickness remains at the south point. One stone building or Clochdn remains inside the fort; it is circular, with a diameter of about 37 ft.; it had a domed roof and a movable door. The great wall of the fort is 139! ft. in length, and varies in width from 8 ft. to n ft. Its internal face batters by irregular stages marked off by terraces, which doubtless served the purpose of enabling the defenders to mount the walls and reconnoitre. The doorway is remarkable; it is nearly 7 ft. in height and the same in breadth, with a reveal for the reception of a movable door ; to the west and east of it there are several chambers. It contained a souterrain which maintained a straight course for a distance of 45 ft. The defences on the landward side consist of an alternation of fosse and vallum. The fort has suffered from a restoration undertaken some years ago.
Kilvickadownig is another important fort belonging to this group; it contains within it three cells, and there is one outside. The wealth of antiquities in this early settlement is astonishing ; there are 414 clochans, 2 promontory forts, 7 raths, 15 forts, 12 crosses, 18 standing and inscribed stones, including two oghams, 19 souterrains, and 29 other ancient buildings and enclosures, which make a total of over 500 ancient remains. It is not easy to estimate the earliest period at which this site was inhabited, but, judging from the inscribed stones, Christianity was introduced not long after the original settlement. From the scanty remains of personal antiquities recovered it would appear that the general standard of comfort was low. The site and its antiquities have been surveyed by Professor R. A. S. Macalister, 1 and any person proposing to visit the remains should first read over his monograph.
Caherconree, another promontory fort in the same county, is a triangular space on a spur situated a little below the summit of one of the Sliabh Mis mountains, commanding a magnificent view over the whole peninsula of Corkaguincy. It is situated at a height of some 2050 ft. above the sea-level. The fort is bounded on two sides by precipices, and on the mountain side by a stone wall 350 ft. long and about 15 ft. thick, now very ruinous, composed of the native rock (Old Red Sandstone). The facing stones arc laid as headers ; there is a shallow fosse outside. The gates arc defaced. There is no indication of any buildings independent of the wall inside the enclosure : a number of trial pits which were sunk in the fort in 1910 revealed nothing but a thick mass of loose stones underneath about 3 ft. to 4 ft. of soft turf bog. Caherconree (the fort of Curaoi) has the following legend, belonging to the Cuchulainn saga, connected with it:-Curaoi was King of West Munster about the first century a.d. Cuchulainn, the. chief hero of Ulster, was in love with Curaois wife, Blanaid, who returned his passion. Taking an opportunity, when most of Curaois men were absent from the fort, Blanaid gave the signal to Cuchulainn by pouring milk into the Fionnghlaise (white stream). Cuchulainn, on seeing the stream become white, stormed the fort, killed Curaoi, and carried off Blanaid.
The monastery on skelling Rock is difficult of approach, except in good weather. It is one of the most curious primitive ecclesiastical settlements in Western Europe. The monastery was dedicated to St Michael: it is built on a rock which rises perpendicularly out of the sea to a great height, standing out in the Atlantic twelve miles from the nearest land. The remains consist of six small clochans or stone huts built of dry stones with corbelled roofs ; the oratory of St Michael, which is the only structure built with mortar in the monastery ; three other dry stone oratories ; two large and a number of small crosses ; a cashel or stone fort encloses the buildings and surrounds the edge of the precipice.
The island was formerly a resort for pilgrims who used to ascend the Way of the Cross, various points of the cliffs being named after the different stations of the Cross. There still remain six hundred steps cut out in the cliff, which rises to 720 ft. above the sea. The lower portion of the ascent is now broken away.
The Blasket Islands are twelve in number. The largest, Inismore, has the ruins of an ancient church and a graveyard. There are the ruins of a church and a nearly perfect clochen, with the foundations of several others, on Inisvickillane, the most southerly of the islands.
Some of the Armada ships were wrecked off the Blaskets, and about seventy years ago the islanders fished up a small brass cannon ornamented with a shield of arms bearing an uprooted tree.
Ardfert (Ard fearta, the height of the grave) is a small village near Tralee in Co. Kerry (Hotels, Kerry, Ireland) ; tlie cathedral is a building of much interest; though now roofless it is otherwise fairly complete. It was unroofed during the rebellion of 1641, but tlie transept was roofed and used as a parish church until 1871. The main body of the cathedral was probably built about tlie middle of the thirteenth century, being 
erected as a simple rectangle, but a large transept was added to the south side in later times, and it was probably at the same time that tlie main wall was embattled. The west doorway and its arcade is the most interesting portion of the. building, being a fine specimen of Romanesque architecture. It is a portion of an older Romanesque building, which formerly occupied the site of the present cathedral.
The Oratory of Gallerus, situated Corkaguiney, Co. Kerry (Holiday Apartments, Kerry, Ireland), is the most complete specimen of this type of building now to be seen in Ireland. It measures 23 ft. by 16 ft. externally ; it is 16 ft. in height. It is built of dry stones ; the doorway has inclined jambs. Near it is a stone pillar, ornamented with a cross in a circle, and incised with the name of Colum.
At Kilmalkedar, at the foot of Mount Brandon, is an interesting church of probably twelfth century date. It is surrounded by the ruins of a small early monastic settlement.