Built in 1261 by John de Verdun at Moydow in the territory of Muinter Ghilgan, this Anglo-Norman fortification barely lasted a generation before meeting its demise. In 1295, just 34 years after its construction, the castle was razed by Sefraid O’Ferrall, reflecting the ongoing power struggles between the Norman colonists and Irish clans in medieval Ireland.

The site today comprises a raised rectangular platform measuring approximately 72 metres northeast to southwest and 48 metres northwest to southeast. This elevated earthwork is defined by a substantial scarp and what was once a formidable defensive fosse; a wide, deep ditch that reaches depths of up to 4 metres in places. Along the northwest and northeast sides, evidence suggests the platform’s external face was originally retained by stone wall facing, though the fosse has been filled in elsewhere over the centuries.

The castle’s story didn’t end with its medieval destruction. In the 17th century, a fortified house was constructed in the eastern sector of the old platform, accompanied by a bawn wall that follows the perimeter of the northeast and northwest sides. These walls may actually incorporate remnants of the original castle’s curtain wall. The 19th century brought further changes with the addition of Bawn House, now demolished, which included a courtyard in the southeast quadrant and a small stone bridge at the eastern angle of the platform. Today, a modern farmhouse occupies the southwest quadrant, whilst the poorly drained pasture surrounding the site preserves this layered history of conflict, fortification, and adaptation spanning over 750 years.