The multi-period, three-storey rectangular structure served as the stronghold of the Mac Carthy clan, with records indicating that Teigue McCarthy repaired and beautified the building before his death in 1565. By 1750, the castle consisted of two square towers rising about 60 feet high with a large building between them, though this would later be transformed in the early 19th century into what was described as an elegant modern mansion.

The castle’s turbulent history saw it burnt multiple times during the 17th century, only to be repeatedly restored. Its final incarnation featured a neo-Tudor embattled facade along the riverbank, complete with a tall square tower that likely dated from the 19th-century renovations. An embattled gateway facing the town square to the east marked the entrance to the demesne, whilst the area between the riverside facade and gateway eventually housed a garage that incorporated intriguing architectural elements, including a stone door surround with a shouldered arch possibly dating from the 1600s.

The castle met its ultimate fate in 1922 when it was burnt once again, this time remaining a ruin for decades until its demolition around 1967 to make way for a technical school. Today, little remains of this once-grand structure beyond fragments of the 19th-century facade and gateway. An armorial plaque that once graced the space above the front door has been preserved and now resides in Macroom Museum, serving as one of the few tangible links to the castle’s storied past.