The remaining walls, which form parts of the ground and first floors, outline what was once a substantial rectangular structure measuring 18.5 metres north to south and 6.18 metres east to west. While centuries of modifications have obscured much of its original character, with most door and window openings now showing recent alterations, one intriguing feature persists: a narrow slit opening near the western end of the north wall at ground level, possibly an original defensive element.

The building’s considerable size suggests it was constructed as a fortified house rather than a traditional tower house, likely dating to the 1600s when such structures provided both domestic comfort and defensive capability. The site may have connections to the Barry family, who held significant power in Cork during the medieval and early modern periods, though documentary evidence remains frustratingly scarce.

Local folklore has woven a more colourful narrative around these weathered stones. According to tradition recorded by historian Power in 1923, the castle was once home to a female outlaw leader in the seventeenth century, earning it the evocative Irish name ‘caisleán bhuidhe na scian’, which translates to ‘Yellow Julia of the Knives’ Castle’. Whether this fierce woman actually existed or represents a amalgamation of local memories and myths, her story has ensured that this otherwise modest ruin maintains a grip on the local imagination, transforming agricultural buildings into a monument to Ireland’s turbulent past.