Barnaderg Castle

The name Barnaderg comes from the Irish Bearna Dhearg meaning "red gap"
The castle dates back to the 16thCentury and is claimed to have been one of the last castles built in Ireland.
Built by Malachy O'Kelly, Barnaderg and the surrounding areas were known to be a stronghold of the O'Kelly clan.

The castle is said at one time to have had a draw bridge, seeing how saturated the land around the ruin can be most of the year it is pretty easy to visualize how this would have looked.

Access - The castle is located just outside the village of Barnaderg on the R332, parking can be found roadside.
Apart from the mostly flooded fields, cattle would seem to be a regular feature in and around the site.

Moyne Castle

This large spacious ruin of Moyne Castle is dated to the 16th Century, although a lot of what you can see today was added at a later stage.
The castle falls right on the Galway Mayo boarder with both county's claiming the castle, all I can say is when I google mapped the castle it fell on the Mayo side.
Either way it is signposted on your right coming from the main Headford - Cong  R334 road.

David MacJonyn (Jennings) Blake was owner in 1574, Ulick Earl of Clanricarde then got it by confiscation in 1585.
Richard  his successor got a re-grant of the castle, with four quarters of land in 1610.

The castle passed hands a few more times mostly staying in the Blake family until they moved to Merlin Park Galway.

Access - The hardest part of getting to see this castle is where to park, the road is very narrow and twisty so great care should be taken wherever you park as you make your way to and from the castle.

Minard Castle

Minard Castle was built by the Knight's of Kerry and may have been the last Fitzgerald castle built on the Dingle Peninsula.  
Walter Hussey a Norman had a garrison in the castle in 1641.
During this time the castle was attacked and destroyed and all inside killed by a Cromwellian army led by Colonels Lehunt and Sadler.

The beach beneath the castle is a natural storm beach and has large sandstone boulders.
Some of these stones are claimed to have been used for ogham stones in the locality.

Minard is very easy to find - it is signposted just off the N86.
This very striking ruin was a revisit for me.
If you are in the area I would place Minard on the top of your list of the many must see places close by.     

Ballynamona Castle

Ballynamona Castle was built by the Nagles around 1600. The castle was occupied until the 19th century.The castle is a four storey square tower house with corbelled turrets at opposite corners. The ruin is located just off the main Mitchelstown Mallow N73 road, and you will have to cross a couple of fields to get up close. The castle did once have a Sheela-na-Gig that was on a wall of the castle, but around 1894 the Sheela was removed from the castle and is believed to have been smashed while the owner of the castle was in England.