Built during the late medieval period, these fortified residences were the solution of choice for landowners who needed both a home and a stronghold. This particular example showcases the typical features of a tower house: thick stone walls, narrow windows, and multiple floors accessed by a spiral staircase tucked into the corner of the structure.

Tower houses like this one emerged across Ireland during the 15th and 16th centuries, when the country was divided among numerous competing lordships. The design was practical; a vertical layout meant a smaller footprint to defend, whilst the height provided excellent views of approaching visitors, whether friend or foe. The ground floor typically housed storage and sometimes livestock, with living quarters on the upper levels, away from damp and potential raiders. Murder holes above the entrance and battlements at roof level were standard defensive features.

Though many tower houses fell into ruin after the Cromwellian conquest and subsequent changes in land ownership, the Youghal-Lands example remains a striking reminder of this turbulent period. The structure would have been the centre of a small estate, controlling the surrounding farmland and serving as a symbol of authority in the local area. Today, it offers visitors a chance to explore how the Anglo-Norman and Gaelic Irish gentry lived during one of Ireland’s most unsettled eras, when a home needed walls three feet thick and a good view in all directions.