Though time hasn’t been kind to this structure, its northern wall still rises defiantly to six metres, offering a glimpse of its former grandeur. The tower’s footprint measures roughly six metres north to south and ten metres east to west, with rubble now blanketing much of the foundation and interior space where lords once held court and soldiers kept watch.

Archaeological surveys reveal intriguing details about the site’s original layout. Beyond the tower’s northern wall, the foundations of an additional building stretch eight metres by six metres, whilst a similar structure on the southern side measures seven metres by four metres; these were likely domestic quarters or storage buildings that supported the main fortification. The tower itself occupies the northwestern corner of what was once an irregularly shaped bawn, a defensive courtyard typical of Irish tower houses from the late medieval period.

Today, visitors to Bunacrower Castle will find a romantic ruin where grass covered foundations barely peek above ground level, tracing the ghostly outline of the protective bawn wall. The site was documented in detail by D. Lavelle’s 1994 archaeological survey of the Ballinrobe district, which catalogued numerous historical sites around Lough Mask and Lough Carra. While the castle may lack the dramatic preservation of more famous Irish fortifications, its windswept location and visible remains offer an authentic encounter with Ireland’s turbulent medieval past.