The site tells a story of medieval power and eventual abandonment, though time and modern development have made its original features increasingly difficult to decipher. What survives today are the ghostly traces of a defensive enclosure, measuring approximately 50.2 metres in diameter, where a semicircular bank once stood about 1.5 metres high.

Archaeological surveys have revealed intriguing details about the castle’s defensive layout. The remaining earthwork shows evidence of a platform running along the outside of the main bank, which archaeologists believe marks the location of a fosse, or defensive ditch, accompanied by an outer bank. This multi-layered defensive system was typical of medieval Irish fortifications, designed to slow attackers and protect the inhabitants within. Unfortunately, a modern field boundary and laneway now slice directly through the site, obscuring many of its original features and making a complete understanding of the castle’s layout nearly impossible.

The O’Reillys were one of the most powerful Gaelic families in medieval Cavan, controlling vast territories throughout the region from the 13th century onwards. This particular stronghold would have been one of many castles and fortified sites that dotted their lands, serving as both defensive positions and symbols of authority. The fact that it disappeared so early, before 1550, suggests it may have been destroyed during the turbulent conflicts of the late medieval period, when the O’Reillys frequently clashed with neighbouring clans and English colonial forces. Today, visitors to the site need a keen eye and some imagination to picture the formidable structure that once commanded this quiet corner of the Irish countryside.