Though the castle itself has vanished without trace above ground, the surviving fortifications offer a glimpse into the property’s former grandeur. Historical maps from the Down Survey of 1655-6 show a substantial castle within a large bawn, along with three houses outside its walls. The accompanying terrier describes ‘a very Spacious House at Ballykeife with Small Thatcht Houses’, owned by the Countess of Ormond in 1640. The site’s importance is underscored by its connection to prominent local families; James Shortall, who died around 1540, styled himself ‘lord of Balylorcan and of Balykife’ on his monument in St. Canice’s Cathedral, though he held the land as a feudal tenant of the Ormonds.

The surviving north wall of the bawn stretches roughly 20 metres and stands about 4 metres high, constructed from roughly coursed limestone rubble with what appears to be an internal wall-walk. Its defensive features remain remarkably intact, including at least two narrow flat-headed loops, a gun loop at the western end, and a small garderobe chute midway along the wall. A circular flanking tower, approximately 5 metres in diameter, anchors the northwest corner of the fortification. This three-storey structure bristles with defensive openings; narrow loops and gun loops positioned strategically across all levels to cover multiple angles of approach. A squinch arch connects the tower to the main wall at second-floor level, demonstrating the sophisticated construction techniques employed by its builders.

By the time of the first Ordnance Survey maps in 1839, the castle was already marked as being in ruins, with local historian Carrigan noting in 1905 that whilst the upper portions had been thrown down, the remaining structure still rose some 30 to 40 feet. Today, a large hayshed built against the internal face somewhat obscures the original architecture, and heavy ivy cloaks much of the external north wall. A pond, measuring approximately 18 metres northeast to southwest and 11 metres northwest to southeast, appears on both the 1839 and 1899-1900 OS maps immediately north of the bawn wall, adding another layer to this multifaceted historical site.