The rectangular building, measuring roughly 13 metres long and 6 metres wide, was cleverly positioned to take advantage of the natural topography, built partly on the crest and eastern slope of the ridge. Its thick walls featured a distinctive base batter, a defensive architectural element that helped deflect projectiles and made scaling the walls more difficult for would-be attackers.

The castle’s defensive character was evident in its sparse openings; four narrow archery slits pierced the walls, three facing south and one east, allowing defenders to rain arrows on approaching enemies whilst remaining protected. Two doorways in the north wall provided access to the ground floor, whilst a rectangular projection on the south wall, complete with an arched opening at ground level, likely housed a latrine on the first floor, a practical necessity even in medieval times. Historical records show the castle was still occupied in 1574, when it belonged to one Redmud Mc Hubert roe, suggesting it remained a viable dwelling well into the late medieval period.

By October 1982, when archaeologists from University College Galway first surveyed the site, the castle stood in fair condition despite being heavily cloaked in ivy. Intriguingly, the western wall appeared to be part of an earlier structure, possibly an older keep or curtain wall, hinting at an even longer history of fortification at this strategic location. Sadly, just two months after this initial survey, the castle was demolished in December 1982, erasing centuries of County Galway’s medieval heritage in a matter of hours.