The castle’s strategic position on this elevated outcrop made it a formidable defensive structure, though today only collapsed masonry remains of what was once a significant fortification. By the time of the Civil Survey in 1654-6, the castle was already described as ruinous, though it still retained the legal privileges of holding a court leet and court baron; important judicial functions that dealt with minor offences and local disputes.

The castle was once the property of Donogh O’Brien, recorded as the proprietor in 1640, placing it firmly within the sphere of one of Ireland’s most influential Gaelic families. When the Ordnance Survey team visited the site in the 19th century, they noted that the castle’s wall footings still crowned the rock outcrop, surrounded by a water-filled moat. This defensive moat, carved directly into the bedrock on the western side, measures 3.5 metres wide and reaches an external depth of 1.4 metres. A causeway, four metres wide, provides access from the west-southwest, crossing the moat to reach what would have been the castle’s main entrance.

The rock-cut moat serves as more than just a defensive barrier; it forms the enclosing element of the castle’s bawn or courtyard, creating a protected space at the base of the fortification. This combination of natural defensive features, the rocky outcrop itself, and human engineering in the form of the carved moat, demonstrates the careful consideration given to the castle’s construction. Though time and weather have reduced Pallas Castle to ruins, these remaining features still tell the story of medieval power and authority in North Tipperary.