Though no visible traces remain of the protective bawn that once surrounded the castle, historical records paint a vivid picture of this fortified settlement. The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick provides a fascinating snapshot of the site, revealing that in 1640, the property belonged to Gibbon fitz Gibbon of Doonmoon, identified as an Irish Catholic landowner during a tumultuous period in Irish history.

The survey describes a substantial settlement that went well beyond a simple castle keep. Alongside the main castle and its defensive bawn walls stood a working mill, essential for processing grain from the surrounding farmland. The residential complex included three thatched houses, two of which boasted the luxury of stone chimneys; a notable feature that indicated both wealth and permanence in an era when many dwellings were far more rudimentary. The survey also recorded approximately 22 small cabins, likely housing tenant farmers, labourers, and their families who worked the estate lands.

This detailed inventory, compiled by historian Caimin O’Brien and made accessible in September 2021, offers a rare glimpse into the social hierarchy and daily life of a Gaelic Irish estate on the eve of the Cromwellian conquest. The presence of both substantial buildings and humble cabins illustrates the typical arrangement of Irish lordships in this period, where landowners maintained fortified residences whilst their tenants lived in simpler dwellings nearby, all within or near the protective embrace of the bawn walls.