Ballyseede Castle Ballyseede Castle is located on its own thirty acres of gardens and woodland. At the approach is an imposing entrance gateway with pillars of block granite. The Castle stands on its own grounds at the end of a winding carriage drive. This elegant Castle looks as if it were built to outlive the vices and follies of man. It has been fought over, lived in and loved, and carries forward its ancient grandeur to this age.

Ballyseede Castle was the chief garrison of the legendary Fitzgerald’s, Earls of Desmond, many of whom refused to swear allegiance to the crown, which resulted in the infamous Geraldine Wars that continued intermittently for three centuries and concluded with the beheading of Gerald, 16th Earl, in the Demesne of Ballyseede and whose head was exhibited in a cage on London Bridge

Following the defeat of the Desmoids in 1584, the Castle plus 3000 acres of land was granted as a perpetual lease to Robert Blennerhassett, the rent being one red rose to be presented each year on Midsummer’s Day. This noble family and their descendants occupied Ballyseede until 1966.

Ballyseede Castle is a large three-story block over a basement, with two curved bows on the entrance front and another bow at the south side and a battlemented parapet. Inside the impressive lobby, Doric columns lead to an elegant wooden bifurcating staircase of fine oak joinery, which is almost unique in Ireland.

There are two magnificent drawing rooms with cornices plasterwork, adorned by marble fireplaces, which are ideal to have afternoon tea or morning coffee. The gracious dining room overlooks the front lawn with its ancient oaks. Dinner is served nightly from 7pm to 9pm. In the library bar there is a great-carved oak chimneypiece over mantle dated 1627. There is a splendid Banqueting Hall where feastings and entertainment were carried out in a grand manner.

To continue its history the Castle boast the ghost of Landlords past and they are known to walk the long corridors in the basement level. On the 24th of March each year the ghost is known to make its presence felt as it did on that night in 1998 when the residents of the castle vacated their rooms and were last heard of when they went to a local bookshop and asked for a book on ghosts. They told the shop assistant they had a frightening experience “they saw a Spirit”. This is the first time anyone was scared of the ghost. The past residents of the castle fondly call the ghost Hilda.