The castle that once stood here was likely built by Conor O’Reilly during the 15th century, a time when the O’Reilly clan dominated much of the region. By 1641, ownership had shifted to the Fleming family, marking one of many changes in the turbulent landscape of Irish land ownership during this period.

Following the Plantation of Ulster, the castle appears to have fallen into disuse, though its significance wasn’t entirely forgotten. The Down Survey maps from 1656-8 show it marked as a fortified enclosure with a house at nearby Monagh, suggesting some form of structure remained standing in the mid-17th century. Today, visitors to the site won’t find any obvious castle ruins above ground, but earlier archaeological surveys tell a more intriguing story.

In 1947, historian Oliver Davies documented what appeared to be remnants of three walls forming an irregular rectangle measuring approximately 58 by 44 metres; these were likely the remains of a bawn, the defensive wall that would have enclosed the castle complex. The northwestern wall, which probably contained the main entrance, seems to have been lost to road construction over the years. Local memory hasn’t entirely forgotten this place either, with tradition linking the site to the ‘Fair Green’ at Muff, where markets and gatherings would have brought the community together in centuries past.