Kilbrittain

Kilbrittain lies in the coastal country of southwest Cork, where its castle was the principal seat of the MacCarthy Reagh lords of Carbery. A tower and fortified enclosure stood above the surrounding land, marking the authority of a Gaelic family whose territory extended across much of the region. The castle remained in MacCarthy hands through the sixteenth century, and a tower was built there by Donal MacCarthy and Margaret FitzGerald in 1556. In 1642, during the Confederate wars, its defenders surrendered after a bombardment.