Built from limestone and sandstone rubble, this tower house measured roughly 9.4 metres north to south and 10.9 metres east to west, with walls nearly two metres thick at the base. The structure featured a distinctive base batter and clay foundations, whilst inside, a barrel vault spanned the ground floor, springing from the north and south walls. According to architectural surveys, two octagonal piers were later inserted to support an arcade that carried slightly pointed vaults, adding to the building’s structural complexity.

By the time of the Civil Survey in 1654–6, the castle was already described as ‘the stump of a castle’ in Ballydrenane, owned by the Lord Baron of Cahir, noted as an ‘Irish Papist’ in 1640. The tower house survived in various states of decay for centuries; when surveyed in 1997, it still stood up to second floor level, though the south wall and southern portion of the west wall had already collapsed. The remaining walls were heavily covered in ivy, and various architectural features were still visible, including single light windows in the east and north walls, all set within straight sided embrasures. A garderobe chute at the north end of the west wall had been broken out, with the waste channel exiting at the base of the wall.

Sadly, this historic structure was illegally demolished in 2000, despite being subject to a preservation order under the National Monuments Acts. Where the tower house once stood, there’s now only a large mound of rubble measuring about 20 by 10 metres and standing 4 to 5 metres high; a stark reminder of what happens when Ireland’s built heritage isn’t properly protected. The loss of Ballydrinan Castle represents not just the destruction of centuries old stonework, but the erasure of a tangible link to the complex political and social landscape of 17th century Tipperary.