ROSS CASTLE

The castle can be reached on foot by taking the path, always straight on from the gates. This 2.5 km route is not unpleasant but a little long, and it is better to do it by bike. The view from the castle overlooking the shores of Lough Leane is picturesque. It was built in the 15th century by a chief of the O'Donoghue Ross clan and is considered a typical example of an Irish fortress. The visit is interesting, it gives information about the daily life of the soldiers who lived in this military barracks. The rooms are arranged along a spiral staircase. The first rooms were designed to house the soldiers who slept on the ground. They are monastic in their sobriety, but on the upper floors, reserved for the chief of the clan and his family, you can see beautiful old oak furniture. The most remarkable rooms are the bedroom, with its beautiful carved wooden bed, and the great hall, located at the top of the tower, with its splendid wooden roof, its kitchen hidden behind an oak screen and its gallery. At the entrance to the castle, a long mossy canal carries a myriad of colourful boats.

The Copper Mines. Alternatively, to the left of the castle, this footpath leads along the shores of a peaceful, sandy, tree-lined bay; it takes just 15 minutes to reach. You can continue along a circular route, between wooded areas and the lake shore, for about 1.5 hours, with an optional short detour to Governor's Rock for a good view of Ross Bay.