The site, which sits 300 metres west of an old deer park, once housed a modest fortification that appears on the Down Survey map of 1655-6 alongside two dwellings. Today, only ruins of a 19th-century farmhouse and its outbuildings occupy the spot where the castle likely stood, though a single punch-dressed stone built into the farmyard wall hints at the medieval structure that came before.

The castle’s documented history reveals a building already in decline by the mid-17th century. When the Civil Survey recorded the property between 1654 and 1656, it noted that Pierce Cantwell owned Poyntstown in 1640, and his lands contained “a little castle wanting repaire & one thatched house”. The fortification’s fate was sealed in 1663 when John Bird became the main tenant under an unusual agreement; his tenancy required him to demolish the castle entirely and construct in its place a stone and lime house with a slate roof, measuring thirty feet long, complete with an orchard and garden, all within two years.

This deliberate destruction of a defensive structure in favour of a more comfortable domestic dwelling reflects the changing priorities of 17th-century Ireland, as the need for fortified residences gave way to agricultural improvement and modern housing. The Kilcooley papers preserve this fascinating glimpse into how landlords actively encouraged tenants to modernise their properties, transforming the landscape from one dotted with small castles to one of slate-roofed houses and productive gardens.