The limestone structure, measuring 7.3 metres north to south and 9.6 metres east to west, survives to just above first floor level, though centuries of adaptation have left their mark. The southwest corner appears to have been rebuilt at some point, and there’s tantalising evidence that a small projecting tower once stood here, possibly housing a staircase and garderobe, though no traces of these amenities survive elsewhere in the building.

The ground floor chamber, which until recently served as a farm building complete with cow stalls and a wooden roof, reveals glimpses of its medieval origins despite heavy alterations. Original window jambs survive in the west wall, whilst the north and east windows have been entirely rebuilt. A large brick arched doorway, clearly a later insertion, dominates the south wall. The first floor retains more of its medieval character, with original windows in both the west and east walls; the eastern window features a vaulted embrasure, though ivy now obscures much of the opening. Above, a pointed barrel vault once covered the first floor chamber, running east to west, but its western end has collapsed and been rather unceremoniously patched with corrugated iron. An intriguing architectural detail survives just above ground level: a series of segmental relieving arches built into the south wall, rising from the foundation plinth, with similar features apparently present in the east and west walls, though these are now largely hidden by the raised ground level.

The castle’s history reflects the turbulent fortunes of medieval Limerick. Held by the MacSheehys during the 16th century, it was granted to Sir H. Oughtred in 1587 as English authority tightened its grip on the region. By 1657, it was already described as “an old ruinous castle”, and by 1840 it had been “lately much destroyed”, likely referring to its reduction in height and conversion to agricultural use. Whilst Lewis claimed in 1837 that the Knights Templar built the castle, no such foundation appears in historical records for this area, making this romantic attribution rather dubious.