The castle itself was demolished in 1548, leaving behind what surveyors in 1942 described as ‘very insignificant’ ruins, thoroughly overgrown with weeds and bushes. What made this site remarkable, however, was its exceptionally well-preserved moat that once encircled the entire complex, serving as the primary defensive feature for the castle’s square-shaped bawn.

Historical maps from 1838 reveal the original layout of this fortification, with the castle positioned in the southern quadrant of the bawn, surrounded by its protective moat. The Mac Coghlans, an important Gaelic family in medieval Offaly, would have relied on this water-filled barrier as their first line of defence against raiders and rival clans. The moat’s impressive preservation into the twentieth century made it a notable archaeological feature, though sadly it has since been filled in sometime after the 1942 survey.

Today, visitors to the site would struggle to make out the outline of the former bawn, which appears only as a low earthwork in the landscape. The transformation from a formidable medieval stronghold to these subtle traces in the earth tells the story of centuries of change in the Irish countryside. While the physical remains may be modest, the site represents an important piece of Offaly’s medieval heritage, marking where the Mac Coghlans once held sway over their territory from behind the protective embrace of their water defences.