Last October myself, wife, mother and two kids (14 and 9) visited Ireland. My 9 year old son really wanted to do some castle visits on our 9 night trip. We saw Ross Castle, Blarney Castle. King John's Castle in Limmerick, and Bunratty Castle near Shannon Airport. We also toured a seaside fort in Kinsale with old stone walls and moats.

I have to say that Ross Castle, just outside Killarney has the prettiest setting. We stayed about a mile away at Ross Castle Lodge (see our review of that hotel). Ross Castle is on a beautiful lake. Swans swam up to us one early evening and it was almost magical.

It is surrounded by a forested park, quite a treat in often treeless Ireland. You can take a tour to the top floors of restored Ross Castle, which actually was besieged in the Elizabethan days. There is a "murder hole" in the ceiling of the first floor entry way where defending soldiers could pour boiling water or oil on attackers who had broken down the outer door.

On the tour I found out that the origin of the term "chairman" is because only the lord of the castle sat in a chair, everybody else sat on one of the benches. I also found out that "cubbyhole" is a nitch in the wall near the fireplace to put infants to keep warm. "Cubby" was a slang term back then for baby.

Nice small exhibit museum and giftshop on the first floor. Great place for hikes or a tour boat ride on the lake.