The property first appears in historical records in 1425, when Peter Keteinge held it for a quarter of a knight’s fee from the Valence estate. This relatively late mention suggests it was a recent addition to the feudal holdings of the area. The Keatings eventually lost their grip on Kilrane, and by the 16th century, the Stafford family had become the dominant landowners. In 1570, Dionisius Stafford and his second wife Katherine Synnott built a fortified house adjacent to the older tower, commemorating their work with a Latin inscription that has since been lost to time.

The tower house itself is a compact but impressive structure, measuring roughly 7 metres by 7 metres and standing about 8 metres high. Built from dressed granite with expertly crafted quoins, it features all the defensive elements you’d expect from a medieval stronghold. The pointed entrance doorway on the north side was protected by a portcullis, whilst the ground floor bristles with embrasures and spy holes that allowed defenders to monitor approaches from multiple angles. The interior reveals a sophisticated layout across multiple floors: the ground level served defensive purposes, the first floor contained living quarters complete with cupboards and windows, and a barrel vault separated these lower levels from the upper storeys, now partially ruined.

Archaeological evidence suggests the tower house formed part of a larger defensive complex. The 16th century fortified house, though mostly destroyed, once stood directly north of the tower. Further north, the church of St Nicholas marks another boundary of what appears to have been a rectangular bawn, or fortified enclosure, measuring approximately 34 by 24 metres. Stone walls with blocked embrasures can still be traced along the western side of this enclosure. By 1641, the Stafford holdings had grown considerably; John Stafford owned 166 acres at nearby Ballyconor and an additional 186 acres within Kilrane parish at Harristown and Hilltown, making this tower house the centre of a substantial estate.