This tower house, dating back to at least the mid-17th century, first appears in records from the Civil Survey of 1654-5, when John Barry owned 210 acres and the castle in Carrig parish. After the land was granted to Nicholas King in 1655, his family retained the property well into the late 19th century, living in the castle even as it accumulated various additions over the years, though these later modifications have since been removed.

The tower itself is a compact defensive structure, measuring 8 metres north to south and 7.1 metres east to west, though it now survives only to the top of its vault at 6 metres high. Built with sturdy granite quoins and a protective base batter, its western entrance showcases the defensive mindset of its builders: a pointed granite doorway protected by a yett (iron gate), with a murder hole overhead in the lobby ceiling. The ground floor bristles with gun loops; narrow defensive openings that allowed defenders to fire upon attackers whilst remaining protected. The interior reveals a complex defensive layout, including a small chamber at the northwest corner that commands multiple gun loops covering the western and northern approaches, whilst the main ground floor chamber features additional loops covering all directions.

A mural staircase built into the western wall leads to the first floor, which sits beneath a barrel vault running north to south. Here, a small vaulted chamber at the southwest corner controls the murder hole below, its ceiling still showing traces of the wicker centring used during its construction. The stairs continue upward through a newel design at the northwest corner, though the upper floors have long since vanished. Whilst no evidence of defensive bawn walls remains, a rectangular walled garden to the northeast hints at the castle’s later, more peaceful domestic life. Archaeological testing in 2010 found no related materials in this garden area, and a mysterious “round tower” marked on 19th-century maps, possibly a chimney stack from local mining operations, has completely disappeared.