What we do know is that this medieval stronghold was likely positioned close to the old settlement of Owney, possibly somewhere between Abington bridge and the Cistercian abbey that also bore the town’s name. The castle would have been a significant structure in its day, commanding the surrounding landscape and serving as a symbol of power in medieval Limerick.

The castle’s most dramatic moment came in 1452, when it became the target of royal displeasure. The Earl of Ormond, who was serving as Lord Justice of Ireland at the time, led forces to demolish the fortress. The Annals of the Four Masters record this event rather succinctly: ‘The Earl of Ormond, Lord Justice of Ireland, broke down the castle of Owny upon O’Mulrian’. The O’Mulrian clan, who held the castle, clearly found themselves on the wrong side of the English administration’s authority.

Today, visitors to Abington won’t find any visible remains of the castle itself, though the area still holds traces of its medieval past. The nearby Cistercian abbey ruins and the old bridge serve as reminders of the settlement that once thrived here. According to historian Seymour’s 1907 work, these landmarks help narrow down where the castle might have stood, even if its precise location continues to elude us. The story of Owney Castle serves as a reminder that not all of Ireland’s medieval fortifications survived; some were deliberately destroyed, leaving only historical records and educated guesses about where they once dominated the landscape.