This was the site of an O’Kelly castle, likely a tower house, which dominated the landscape in the late 15th century. The fortification included what was known as a bawn; a defensive wall that would have enclosed the castle grounds, providing additional protection for the inhabitants and their livestock.

The castle’s strategic importance made it a frequent target during the territorial disputes of medieval Ireland. In 1487, Ulick Mac William Burke destroyed the bawn during one of the many conflicts that characterised the region. The castle itself survived this attack but fell to William Burke just twelve years later in 1499, though he subsequently returned it to the sons of William Kelly. By the 1570s, the English crown had taken control of the property, leasing it to Sir Thomas le Strange, whose ward still held the lease in 1596, despite the castle having been destroyed by that time.

The site continued to hold significance into the 17th century when it came into the possession of the Earl of Clanrickard in 1640. It’s believed that one of the earls constructed a fortified house here, adapting to the changing architectural and defensive needs of the period. Today, no trace remains of the original O’Kelly tower house or its protective bawn, and even the later fortified house has vanished, leaving only historical records to tell the story of this once contested riverside stronghold.