Editing County Kerry (section)

===Kingdom of Ireland===
[[File:Gallarus Oratory.JPG|220px|thumbnail|Gallarus Oratory near Dingle, which dates back to the 6th century.]]
[[File:Skellig Michael.png|220px|thumbnail|Little Skellig, as seen from Skellig Michael.]]
In 1580, during the [[Second Desmond Rebellion]], one of the most infamous massacres of the Sixteenth century, the [[Siege of Smerwick]], took place at Dún an Óir near [[Ard na Caithne]] (Smerwick) at the tip of the [[Dingle Peninsula]]. The 600-strong Italian, Spanish and Irish [[Second Desmond Rebellion#1579 invasion|papal invasion force]] of [[James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald]] was besieged by the English forces and massacred.

In 1588, when the fleet of the [[Spanish Armada in Ireland]] were returning to [[Spain]] during stormy weather, many of its ships sought shelter at the [[Blasket Islands]] and some were wrecked.

During the [[Nine Years' War (Ireland)|Nine Years' War]], Kerry was again the scene of conflict, as the O'Sullivan Beare clan joined the rebellion. In 1602 their castle at [[Dunboy Castle|Dunboy]] was [[Siege of Dunboy|besieged and taken]] by English troops. [[Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare|Donal O'Sullivan]] Beare, in an effort to escape English retribution and to reach his allies in [[Ulster]], marched all the clan's members and dependants to the north of Ireland. Due to harassment by hostile forces and freezing weather, very few of the 1,000 O'Sullivans who set out reached their destination.

In the aftermath of the War, much of the native owned land in Kerry was confiscated and given to English settlers or 'planters'. The head of the [[MacCarthy Mor]] family, [[Florence MacCarthy]] was imprisoned in London and his lands were divided between his relatives and colonists from England, such as the Browne family.

In the 1640s Kerry was engulfed by the [[Irish Rebellion of 1641]], an attempt by Irish Catholics to take power in the Protestant [[Kingdom of Ireland]]. The rebellion in Kerry was led by [[Donagh McCarthy]], 1st Viscount Muskerry. His son [[Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty|the Earl of Clancarty]] held the county during the subsequent [[Irish Confederate Wars]] and his forces were among the last to surrender to the [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland]] in 1652. The last stronghold to fall was [[Ross Castle]], near Killarney.