The wall surrounds the tower on all sides except for its northeastern corner, creating a defensive perimeter that would have protected the castle’s inhabitants and their livestock. Near the southeastern corner, a small tower bristles with three narrow slit openings; two positioned to provide east-west flanking fire along the walls, whilst the third faces forward for frontal defence. The western side featured the main entrance gateway, a modest four-foot-wide opening that would have been the castle’s primary access point.

The castle’s construction tells a story of changing fortunes amongst Cork’s powerful families. Built by the Barretts during the latter half of the 15th century, the stronghold represented their ambitions in the region. However, their tenure proved relatively short-lived; in 1593, the Mac Carthys forcibly seized the castle, adding it to their extensive holdings across Munster. The Mac Carthys maintained control of Castle Inch until the late 17th century, weathering the tumultuous years of Confederate Wars and Cromwellian conquest that saw many Irish castles change hands or face destruction.

Archaeological evidence reveals interesting modifications to the original structure, particularly the southern bawn wall which was destroyed at some point and subsequently rebuilt just outside the line of the earlier wall. Notably, neither the original nor the replacement wall was bonded into the tower itself, suggesting they may have been later additions or that construction methods allowed for independent structural movement. By 1750, the castle had fallen into ruin, its defensive purpose long obsolete in an Ireland transformed by centuries of conflict and changing military technology.