The lands of Fernegenel, which encompassed most of the barony of Shelmaliere East, first came under Norman control when Maurice de Prendergast held them from Strongbow in exchange for the service of five knights’ fees. By 1247, the estate had passed to Gerard de Roche, whose family would maintain ownership of Artramon (then known as Ardcroman) well into the early 16th century. The property eventually transferred through marriage to the Mastersons in the early 1600s, though their tenure proved turbulent; Walter Roche of Newcastle captured the castle in 1641, and by the time of the Civil Survey in the 1650s, Edward Masterson’s castle was noted as being in only “indifferent repair”, despite his ownership of 700 acres across the parish.

The tower itself is a substantial four storey structure built primarily from Old Red Sandstone conglomerate, measuring roughly 8.5 metres by 8 metres and rising to just over 14 metres, though the original parapet has been lost. Its defensive features speak to centuries of uncertainty: a pointed granite entrance protected by both machicolation and a murder hole, narrow embrasures on the ground floor, and a yett (iron gate) at the main doorway. The interior reveals the careful planning typical of Irish tower houses, with mural stairs winding through the walls to connect each level. The first floor sits beneath an east to west barrel vault, whilst the upper floors contained the more comfortable living quarters, complete with fireplaces, garderobes tucked into the northwest corners, and windows set in curved embrasures with built in stone seats.

Each floor tells its own story of medieval life: the second floor housed the main living space with its fireplace and the mechanism controlling the murder hole below, whilst the third floor, though lacking a fireplace, featured cupboards built into the angles and rounded arched window embrasures that still show traces of the original wicker centering used during construction. Though a later brick vault was added over the third floor and the parapet level has been destroyed, the castle remains an impressive testament to the defensive architecture and domestic arrangements of medieval Ireland, standing watch over the harbour as it has for centuries, with the parish church visible 170 metres to the north and a holy well just 50 metres away.