In front of the wall to the north, there’s a distinctive fosse-like dip in the ground; whilst this may be a natural feature, the antiquarian Thomas Westropp suggested in 1914 that it could conceal earlier defensive works. The area south of the curtain wall, towards the sea, is now occupied by a farmyard but was originally a level platform defined by a low rock escarpment, with towers positioned at the southwest and southeast corners. A modern road cuts through the curtain wall to the west, likely following the route of the original entrance.

The defensive architecture shows considerable sophistication for its time. Halfway along the curtain wall stands a mural tower complete with a pair of garderobe chutes that open at its base, whilst a flat-headed window light punctuates the curtain wall to the east of this tower. The largest and most impressive structure occupies the southwest corner of the platform at its highest point; this rectangular tower measures 7.5 metres east to west and 5 metres north to south, with an adjoining turret at its southwest corner. Only the ground floor survives, accessed through a doorway in the south wall, with traces of spiral stairs visible in the northeast corner and a blocked passage leading to the smaller corner tower chamber. The construction technique is particularly noteworthy, with walls that corbel inwards at the top, capped by a series of lintel stones.

This was a castle of the Barry family, one of the Anglo-Norman dynasties that dominated much of County Cork from the medieval period onwards. Its turbulent history during the Confederate Wars is well documented; Irish Confederate forces captured and demolished the castle in 1642, but Parliamentarian forces quickly retook and presumably repaired it shortly afterwards. The southeastern tower, built against the steep east-facing slope, remains partially standing though its western half has collapsed. Like the main tower, it features two small garderobe chambers at its eastern end, covered with a similar corbelled roof supporting lintels, and simple square-headed window lights that would have provided both light and defensive positions for the castle’s defenders.