Kilkee Castle

Kilkee takes its name from Cill Chaoi, meaning 'Church of Saint Caoidhe,' an early ecclesiastical site dedicated to a local hermit commemorated by a holy well opposite Bishop's Island. The castle itself was constructed in the fifteenth century by the MacSweeney family, Scottish mercenary soldiers (Gallowglass) who were prominent in County Clare during this period. By 1570, Colle Mac Swyne was r...