Built from Old Red Sandstone conglomerate, this five-storey fortress was constructed by the Cistercian monks of Dunbrody Abbey to protect their fishing community and the vital ferry crossing to Passage East, just 700 metres across the estuary. Despite earlier confusion linking the site to a 1212 grant to the Knights Hospitallers, which actually referred to Ballyhoge parish, the castle’s true origins lie with the abbey, which maintained nine tenements here until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1541.

The tower’s defensive features tell a story of medieval paranoia and practical security. Entry through the ground-floor doorway meant passing under a murder hole, through a heavy iron yett gate, and beneath machicolations from which defenders could rain down unpleasantries on unwelcome visitors. Inside, the castle reveals its dual purpose as both fortress and residence across its five floors. The lower levels served practical needs with storage spaces and narrow slit windows, whilst ascending the spiral staircase reveals increasingly comfortable quarters. The second floor boasts a large window with built-in seats overlooking the entrance, alongside a fireplace, whilst the third floor contains a remarkable chapel complete with piscina, aumbry and altar shelf tucked into the thick walls; evidence of the religious life that persisted even in this military structure.

Archaeological investigations have uncovered fascinating glimpses of the castle’s later life, including mid-17th century pottery found in a garderobe pit that suggests when the fortress was finally abandoned. Just outside the entrance, the foundations of a cottage dating to the 17th or 18th century were discovered, complete with fragments of Staffordshire slipware, clay pipes and glass, showing how the site continued to be inhabited long after its military importance had waned. Today, this National Monument welcomes visitors during summer months, offering a chance to explore one of Ireland’s best-preserved tower houses and imagine life in this strategic outpost where monks once guarded their fishing fleet and ferry crossing.