Today, visitors will find little more than a subrectangular, grass-covered mound rising about 1.3 metres high, measuring roughly 3.2 metres north to south and 6.8 metres east to west. The mound consists of rubble from the levelled castle, with some stone-faced earthen terracing still visible on the southern side.

Historical records provide glimpses of this fortification’s past significance. The 1842 Ordnance Survey six-inch map depicts it as a rectangular structure, suggesting it was still recognisable as a castle at that time. By 1837, when Samuel Lewis compiled his Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, he noted that only a small fragment of Ardagh Castle remained. Local tradition associates the site with the O’Driscoll family, one of the prominent Gaelic clans who controlled much of West Cork during the medieval period.

Though the physical structure has been reduced to foundations and rubble, the castle’s strategic positioning on its rocky prominence speaks to its former importance as a watchtower and defensive position. The site was documented in the Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1, published in 1992, with updates added as recently as 2009 to reflect ongoing research into West Cork’s medieval heritage.