Ráth Caola

Ráth Caola, meaning 'Caola's ringfort,' was named after an early fortified settlement, with the ringfort at its centre indicating Iron Age or Early Medieval occupation. Rathkeale's documented medieval history begins with Castle Matrix, a 15th-century tower house built by Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond in the early 1400s. The castle served as a Desmond family seat and was later occupied ...