Since my childhood, I have always had a sense of curiosity in relation to history. In time, this passion took me to University College Cork, where I studied Archaeology. Soon after, I graduated with a MA in Archaeology. I specialized in the field of Irish medieval castles. As part of my MA thesis, I studied the history and archaeology of several castles in County Kerry.  In spite of all the wonderful castles explored and researched, the ruins of my local castle in Castleisland, captivated my imagination above all the others. 

I attended St. Patrick’s Secondary School in Castleisland, and often during those early years, as I passed by the castle on the way to school, I cast a curious eye upon the castle ruins. Little did I know back then, the key part it would come play in my life.  

Over the past few years, my personal interest and passion in Castleisland castle continued to grow. Therefore, in an effort to give the castle the voice it so desperately deserves, I began to slowly piece back together it’s lost story. This process took years of research. Finally, having succeeded in my goal, I reflected on the best means to present my research. Thus, I decided to produce a documentary on the castle.

Image: Filming at Kilmurray Castle, Cordal.

Ultimately, in order to make my vision a reality, as well as to finance the project, I established the voluntary and non-profitable society called “The Castle of the Island Society”. The primary goal of the society, is to preserve the history of Castleisland Castle. In 2017, production began on the documentary, entitled ‘The Castle of the Island’. I worked on the documentary on a voluntary basis, as researcher, producer and presenter. Overall, it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. 

It has been a long road, but finally the documentary is complete. It will be released on-line for free in 2023 (after it’s premiere on RTÉ), as a gift to the people of Castleisland and beyond. 

—-Robert