Shanid castle is a tower castle dating from the 13th century, situated on land associated with the Fitzmaurice family which settled in the area after 1169.
The ruins of Shanid Castle, an important Anglo-Norman stronghold, are located a short distance away from the village. It sits high on a hill with a motte some 35 feet deep. This impressive stronghold of the Geraldines (FitzGerald) boasted circular walls 10 feet thick. Maurice FitzGerald was granted lands in Limerick by Richard de Clare (Strongbow) after the Norman invasions of 1169. Thomas Fitzmaurice (son of Maurice) inherited the lands of Shanid. He is often credited with the building of the Shanid castle in 1230 but there are strong indications it was there before that date. Thomas was the ancestor of the FitzGeralds, the Earls of Desmond, and this was to be the first stronghold of the Knights of Glin. These Desmond Geraldines would go on to build many castles, but Shanid was the strongest.
The last Earl of Desmond was murdered in Kerry in 1584. The lands of the Desmond Geraldines were then divided by the English. Shanid Castle was inhabited until 1641 when it was finally burned and destroyed.