The property’s fate took a turn when David’s daughter, Agatha, married William Hore of Horetown in 1309, bringing the lands into the Hore family’s possession where they would remain for centuries. The Hores were clearly substantial landowners; by 1640, William Hore not only owned the castle and 120 acres at Harperstown, but also held Traceystown castle with 360 acres and Ardenagh castle with 300 acres in nearby Taghmon parish.

The castle itself enters the historical record properly in 1526, though its exact appearance and layout remain something of a mystery today. What makes Harperstown particularly intriguing is its architectural afterlife; parts of the medieval castle were reportedly incorporated into Harperstown House, likely during the 18th century when such transformations were fashionable amongst the Irish gentry. This practice of building grand Georgian mansions around or atop medieval structures was common across Ireland, as landowners sought to modernise whilst retaining links to their ancestral past.

Today, visitors to the site on its gentle west-facing slope will find themselves looking at ruins that tell a complex story. While local tradition holds that medieval stonework lies somewhere within the structure, no visible traces of the original castle can be definitively identified amongst what remains of the later mansion. It’s a reminder that Ireland’s historic sites often exist in layers, with each generation of inhabitants leaving their mark, sometimes quite literally building upon the foundations of those who came before.