The town of Tralee, formerly Traleigh, meaning the “strand of the River Leigh,” is situated in the Barony of Trughenackmy, in the County Kerry. It is nearly two miles east-north-east of Tralee Harbour, and the Lee Rivulet, from which it takes its name, formerly filled the moat of the great castle. Sir Thomas Denny made it run along the Mall in the eighteenth century, and it is now covered over.

The town had originally four castles, only two of which were standing during the famous siege of 1641. Short Castle had disappeared in 1756, while the great castle was demolished in 1826 by consent of its owner, Sir Edward Denny, for the improvement of the town. Its former site, and that of the bowling green attached, is now occupied by the handsome thoroughfare known as Denny Street. The entrance to the castle demesne or “green,” is at the top of this street, and the public have always had access to it.

The great mahogany doors from the castle may still be seen, cut down to fit ordinary doorways, in the houses in Denny Street belonging to Sir John Neligan and Mr. Francis M’G. Denny. Mr. Denny also possesses some parts of a grey stone mantelpiece carved in high relief with the Denny arms, crest, and motto, which also came from the old fortress.

This last castle was a restoration of the chief seat of the Desmond FitzGeralds for close on four hundred years.

There are several versions of the legend which accounts for the crest and supporters of the Geraldines being represented by monkeys. One of these is that in 1261, after the battle of Callen, where MacCarthy Reigh slew the chief heads of the Munster FitzGeralds, only a little baby of eight months old, at nurse in Tralee, was left to represent the great family. Upon hearing the news of the disaster the child’s attendants rushed into the streets, when to their horror they presently beheld their charge exhibited on the battlements of the castle in the arms of a pet ape. The animal, however, returned the baby unharmed to his cradle, and afterwards this Desmond was known as “Thomas a Nappagh” or “of the ape.” Some authorities mention the abbey as the scene of the child’s escape.

Sir Henry Sidney, in his report on Munster, declared that there would be “neither peace nor order in the South, until the palatine jurisdiction of both Ormond and Desmond (East and South Munster) were reduced.”

Therefore, in 1576 Sir William Drury, Lord President of Munster, declared his intention of giving the Queen’s writ currency in the palatinate.

At the Council the Earl of Desmond tried to dissuade him, but being unsuccessful he offered him hospitality during his visit.

Upon approaching Tralee the Lord President was met by seven or eight hundred armed men who emerged from the cover of the wood, and rushed towards him shouting and brandishing their weapons. Sir William, not knowing whether the display was friendly or otherwise, determined to be on the safe side, and gathering his body guard of a hundred and twenty men round him, he charged the on-coming troop, who did not wait for an attack, but withdrew as hastily as they had advanced.

The President rode on to the castle, where he demanded admittance and explanation, both of which were given to him by the Countess, who received him at the entrance, and assured him (or endeavoured to do so) that he had but received an Irish welcome, and that her husband had meant no harm, but awaited him in the fortress to go hunting.

In 1579 Sir William Drury, then Lord Deputy, sent Henry Danvers to the Desmonds to enlist their aid in repelling a threatened invasion of some foreign mercenaries. This he failed to do, and upon his return journey he slept a night in Tralee Castle, having formerly been a great friend of Sir John of Desmond, the Earl’s brother. This friendship is said to have weakened Sir John’s influence among his countrymen, and that in consequence he determined to show it had ceased to exist. Be that as it may, he demanded admittance to the castle during the night, and he and his followers murdered Sir Henry Danvers, the Justices Meade and Charters, and their servants, while they slept. It is said that Danvers awoke and seeing Sir John said, “My son, what is the matter?” But his murderer answered, “No more of son, no more of father, make thyself ready, for die thou shalt.”

Tradition always pointed out a room in the castle as the scene of the murder, which had a small room off it in the thickness of the walls, from which access was obtained to a narrow stairway and postern. This was commonly called the “murdering hole,” and regarded with great superstition.

A despatch to Cecil in 1580 states “all the houses in Trally burnte and the castles raised.”

The Earl of Desmond’s estate was forfeited in 1583.

“Traylye” was granted to Sir Edward Denny in 1587, and delivered to him by Mr. Thomas Norreys.

The castle was at this time in a ruined condition, and when the family came to Ireland they resided at Carrignafeely Manor until the close of James I.’s reign.

The “Sugan” Earl of Desmond seized the fortress in 1599 and employed a hundred and fifty men to undermine it. Sir Charles Wilmot surprised the rebels with fifty horse. He killed thirty-two, and seized the arms of about a hundred more while the rest escaped to the mountains.

In 1627 Edward Denny, grandson to the first grantee, began to rebuild the stronghold.

Upon the breaking out of the rebellion in 1641 Sir Edward Denny collected his English tenants and the loyal Irish, and they fortified themselves in the two castles. Lady Denny and her children went to England, while Sir Edward joined the President. His step-father, Sir Thomas Harris, took command of the Tralee garrisons, but it was not until early in the following year that the Irish laid siege to the town, under the command of Florence Carty with six hundred men.

The guns of Short Castle opened fire, but nevertheless the Irish raided the town. They stripped or murdered all the inhabitants they captured, and hundreds fled to the two strongholds for protection.

Upon the 10th of February a spy named Laurence gained admittance to the larger castle, on the plea of seeing the Governor, who was asleep. He carried a pass from the rebel poet, Pierce Ferriter, who commanded the Irish forces in the district. His movements at length awakening suspicion he was taken prisoner.

Shortly after this the Irish took possession of the town during the night. The guns of both castles played with little effect, and some of the inhabitants were drawn up into Short Castle by ropes. The Provost, who had left the town to see to some outlying property, was prevented returning, and Sir Thomas Harris had command of both castles, a line from the top of each conveying letters from one fortress to the other.

About four hundred persons fled to the strongholds, so that the provisions intended to last two years gave out in seven months. Water failed, and although thirteen wells were sunk twenty feet each, only thick black water could be procured.

Captain Ferriter and a townsman of Tralee demanded a parley with Sir Thomas and asked him to surrender, but he refused.

They then hauled “sow” engines against the strongholds. The one sent against the great castle was smashed by a small cannon ball, and a cooper in Short Castle dislodged a pinnacle of the building on the top of the other, which they afterwards burnt. The Irish lost about twenty men and their engines in the attack.

An effort was made to relieve the town by sea, but the small force sent for the purpose was entirely routed.

When the siege had lasted about six months Sir Thomas Harris fell ill and died through bad water and anxiety.

Immediately after the provisions giving out the garrisons capitulated, the terms being their lives and a suit of clothes each. Most of them joined Colonel Crosbie in Ballingarry fortress on an island in the Shannon.

Of the six hundred within the castles of Tralee three hundred died during the siege. They were reduced to eating bran, tallow, and raw hides.

The castles were burnt upon being surrendered.

The great castle was shortly afterwards restored, but in 1691 it was again burned, by Sir James Colter’s orders, and when the Royalists were defeated at Lixnaw the two Irish officers who carried out the order would have been hanged but for the intervention of Colonel Edward Denny. The famous “Denny Bible” in which this conflagration is recorded belongs to Tralee church, to which it was presented by the Denny family.

In 1698 the House of Commons decided to help in the rebuilding of the castle.

This fortress was of an L shape, but Sir Edward Denny, 3rd baronet, who succeeded to the title in 1795, added another wing in 1804, which contained several fine saloons, a large hall with a handsome circular staircase and other apartments. Soon after 1820 Sir Edward went to live in England.

A black coach, with headless horses and coachman, was formerly said to drive through Tralee upon the death of one of the Denny family, and if any one looked out at it, a basin of blood was thrown in his face. Of later years a banshee is said to have taken its place.