This defensive structure, which still rises to its full original height despite the passage of time, features the characteristic base batter typical of medieval fortifications. The tower now finds itself incorporated into a nineteenth century convent building attached to one side, creating an unusual architectural marriage between medieval military architecture and Victorian religious construction. Inside, stone corbels jutting from the walls mark where wooden floors once divided the tower into multiple levels, offering glimpses of how the space was originally used.

Historical maps from around 1560 reveal fascinating details about the tower’s original context within the plantation town of Maryborough, as Portlaoise was then known. The tower stood within the town walls, positioned to the east of the plantation fort, with a small stream running between the two structures; today, this waterway has been replaced by the modern road that passes in front of the convent. The same sixteenth century map shows that the tower wasn’t isolated but had a two storey, gable fronted house with a central chimney stack attached to its northern face, suggesting it served as both a defensive structure and a comfortable residence during the Tudor plantation period.

This surviving tower offers a tangible link to the complex layers of Portlaoise’s past, from its medieval origins through the Tudor plantations to its Victorian religious life. Its circular design was both practical and defensive, making it harder to undermine than square towers whilst providing better sight lines for defenders. The fact that it has been preserved, albeit modified, within the later convent complex makes it a unique example of architectural continuity, where different periods of Irish history literally build upon one another.