Evidence suggests it once stood near, or possibly on the very grounds of, what is now Toomullin House in County Clare. Walk the surrounding fields today and you’ll spot telltale signs of its former presence: pieces of dressed stonework and architectural fragments have been incorporated into the field walls, silent witnesses to the castle that once dominated this landscape.

These tantalising remnants caught the attention of historians Risteárd Ua Cróinín and Martin Breen, who documented the site as part of their comprehensive survey of Clare’s castles and tower houses. Their unpublished report provides valuable insights into this lost fortification, adding another piece to the puzzle of medieval Clare’s defensive landscape. Like many Irish castles that fell into ruin during the turbulent centuries following their construction, Toomullin’s stones were recycled by practical locals who saw useful building material where others might see only history.

For those interested in Ireland’s vanished castles, Toomullin presents a particularly intriguing case. Without excavation, we can only speculate about its original size, layout, and the family who built it. The scattered stones in the field walls serve as breadcrumbs leading back through time, inviting visitors to imagine the tower or keep that once stood here, perhaps watching over the surrounding countryside or guarding an important route through medieval Clare.