Staigue stone fort

Halfway between the villages of Sneem and  Caherdaniel is Staigue Stone Fort. Located 3 km from the Ring of Kerry up the flanks of one of the mountains, this stone fort commands the perfect view towards Kenmare bay.
The 2500 year old Staigue fort is one of Ireland's finest examples of a stone fort which was built around the first century BC. The fort itself is built on top of a small hill and is surrounded by an 8 meter wide ditch.

It must have been tough labour to built the fort based on the size and dimensions of it. With its 4 meter tick walls which taper to 2 meter width at the top, it must have taken a lot of stones to built the entire fort which has a diameter of 27 meters. And to make it even more remarkable, the walls are built using the dry-stone technique, so no mortar or any other material was used to keep the stones in place. Within the walls are 2 chambers and along the interior of the walls are many stairwells which give access to the ramparts.
The purpose of the fort isn't really known, but is is thought it used to be a place of worship, an observatory and a place of defence.

At the fort is ample car park and even a coffee cart where you can enjoy some coffee and cake. There is no entry fee at the fort, but there is a box where you can pay a trespass fee of €1.