Ballymalis Castle, Medieval tower house near River Laune, Ireland.

Ballymalis Castle is a rectangular stone tower house of four storeys plus an attic, with bartizans at the southwest and northeast corners. Its walls hold mullioned and transomed windows, a machicolation, slopstones, chimneys and fireplaces, and part of the wall-walk survives.

The Ó Muircheartaigh (O'Moriartys) built this tower house in the early 16th century. It later passed to the Ó Fearghuis (Ferrises), who renovated it in the late 16th century. In 1677 the manor was confiscated by the British Crown and granted to Sir Francis Brewster, who passed it to the Eager (Eagar) family.

The name Ballymalis comes from Irish Caisleán Bhéal Átha Málais, meaning the castle at the ford-mouth of the Málais. The tower house was held by the Ó Muircheartaigh and later the Ó Fearghuis, whose surnames remain common in Kerry. The site is a National Monument, and the Ring of Kerry passes just to the north.

Ballymalis Castle stands on the north bank of the River Laune, reached by local roads off the N72 about 4.3 km northwest of Beaufort, with the Ring of Kerry running to the north. The tower house is a National Monument and its ruin is only partially restored, so expect uneven ground and no visitor facilities on site.

Sections of the original wall-walk, known as an alure, still survive on the structure, allowing us to see how defenders could patrol the perimeter. These remaining passages reveal the practical defensive arrangements that made such towers effective.