The castle, measuring approximately 8 metres north-northeast to south-southwest and 7 metres west-northwest to east-southeast, features a defensive base batter and parapet typical of medieval Irish fortifications. Its western side preserves the authentic character of the structure, with narrow pointed window openings framed by chamfered jambs and well-preserved quoins that demonstrate the quality of its original construction.

The castle’s turbulent past emerges through historical records rather than physical remains. The Civil Survey of 1654-6 reveals that Thomas Neugent of Rosse owned 280 acres here in 1640, when the property included not just the castle and its protective bawn, but also twenty cabins and a fishing weir along what was likely a strategic waterway. By the time of the survey, however, the castle was already recorded as unroofed, suggesting it had fallen into disrepair during the upheavals of the mid-17th century. Curiously, despite its apparent significance, the castle doesn’t appear on the Down Survey maps of 1656-8, though it would later be marked as ‘Ross Castle’ in distinctive gothic lettering on Ordnance Survey maps from 1836 and 1908.

Today, the restored and occupied tower house sits within a subcircular enclosure roughly 44 to 50 metres in diameter, defined by masonry walls that appear to be modern additions rather than medieval defences. A contemporary single-storey structure stands just northeast of the tower, whilst archaeological testing conducted in 2018 within five metres of the castle’s northern side yielded no related medieval material, leaving many questions about the site’s original extent and associated structures unanswered. The castle’s restoration has given it new life as a residence, though its blend of medieval authenticity and modern reconstruction makes it a complex monument to interpret.