The structure likely dates from the 15th or 16th century, a period when tower houses proliferated across the Irish landscape as fortified homes for local lords and their families. These compact stone fortresses served dual purposes; they provided security during turbulent times whilst also broadcasting the wealth and status of their owners.

The castle’s location in Doonnagurroge, which translates from Irish as ‘Dún na gCorrόg’, meaning ‘fort of the herons’, suggests this area has been of strategic importance for centuries. The tower house would have originally stood several storeys high, with thick stone walls designed to withstand siege warfare. Like many of its contemporaries, it would have featured narrow windows for defence, a spiral staircase tucked within the walls, and wooden floors dividing the interior into distinct levels for sleeping, storage, and entertaining.

Today, the castle stands as a silent witness to County Clare’s complex history, from the Gaelic lordships through the English conquest and beyond. Though time and weather have taken their toll on the structure, the remaining stonework offers visitors a tangible connection to Ireland’s medieval past, when such towers dotted the countryside and local chieftains ruled their territories from these imposing stone strongholds.