What is recorded here

Caisleán na bhFiach stood at the north end of Main Street until the nineteenth century, when a Temperance Hall consumed its stones and a library now occupies the same ground. In 1565 the Knight of Kerry sold the tower house to Richard Trant, transferring a fortress into the hands of a merchant rather than a warrior. That sudden change suggests the castle had stopped being a weapon and become a warehouse for pride, its guns redirected inward against the people who built it.

The sale of a castle by the Knight of Kerry to Richard Trant in 1565 is recorded in contemporary documents (Cuppage 1986, 380). The castle known as Caisleán na bhFiach was situated at the N end of Main St, on the site of the 19th century Temperance Hall now the local library, but nothing is known of its history. Trant Castle described in the Urban Survey of Kerry (Bradley 1987, 64) as follows; 'In 1565 a castle in Dingle was sold to Richard Trant by the knight of Kerry (Cuppage 1986, 380). Known as Cais lean na bhFiach it stood at the north end of Main Street on the site occupied by the nineteenth century Temperance Hall, now housing the local library (Cuppage 1986, 380). The above description is derived from J. Cuppage et al., 'Archaeological Survey of the Dingle Peninsula.' (Oidhreacht Chorca Duibhne, 1986) Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 19 April 2022

The castle in An Gróbh, also known as Caisleán na bhFiach, was held by the Knight of Kerry before being sold to Richard Trant in 1565. It is remembered as a documented example of early modern land transactions in the region.

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