Built from limestone rubble with carefully dressed quoins, doors and windows, this medieval stronghold once commanded sweeping views across the countryside, though today the southern vista is blocked by a small hill. The castle originally formed part of a larger complex, complete with a bawn wall extending from its northeastern and southeastern faces, along with various outbuildings that survived until the late 18th century when a local farmer named Thomas Cahill dismantled them for building materials. Archaeological evidence suggests settlement earthworks extending eastward from the castle, painting a picture of a once-bustling defensive community.

The tower house itself measures approximately 10 metres by 8.6 metres, with walls nearly 1.5 metres thick; a testament to its defensive purpose. Entry was through a pointed doorway on the southeastern wall, cunningly protected by both an overhead machicolation at parapet level and a murder hole in the entrance lobby. Inside, a mural staircase winds its way up through four floors, each serving different purposes: the ground floor chamber featured defensive loops and an inserted fireplace; the first floor boasted a vaulted ceiling; whilst the upper floors contained more comfortable living quarters with large windows, window seats, fireplaces and even garderobe chambers with latrines. The sophistication increases with height, culminating in elegant two-light ogee-headed windows on the fourth floor, suggesting these upper chambers served as the lord’s private apartments.

The castle’s history is inextricably linked with the Cantwell family, who held it until their dramatic downfall during the Cromwellian conquest. In 1649, whilst garrisoned against Parliamentary forces, the castle’s English, Welsh and Scottish officers secretly negotiated its surrender to Cromwell, betraying their cause. The final blow came with the Act of Settlement in 1652, when John Cantwell lost both castle and lands due to his role as Provost Marshal of the Confederates during the 1641 Rising. This betrayal and subsequent confiscation marked the end of centuries of Cantwell dominance in the area, leaving behind only this impressive stone sentinel as testament to their former power.