The castle’s history took a dramatic turn in 1605 when it was granted to King James I, marking the transition from Gaelic to English ownership during the early plantation period. Sir William Taaffe subsequently acquired the property and converted it into a manor house for his plantation estate, adapting the medieval fortification to suit the needs of a more settled, agricultural economy.

The building’s fortunes declined sharply during the Cromwellian period of the 1650s, when it was abandoned amidst the widespread upheaval and land confiscations that characterised that tumultuous era. Like many Irish castles and manor houses of the period, it fell victim to the political and military conflicts that swept across the country, leaving formerly grand structures to decay and crumble.

Today, no visible remains survive above ground level at Cloghballybeg, though the site continues to hold archaeological significance. The location was documented by Oliver Davies in 1947 and later included in the Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan, published in 1995. While visitors won’t find stone walls or towers to explore, the site remains an evocative reminder of the layers of Irish history; from Gaelic lordship through English plantation to Cromwellian destruction, all played out on this modest rise beside a Cavan lough.