The site offers sweeping views across the surrounding pastureland in every direction, making it clear why this spot was chosen for a medieval fortification. Though time hasn’t been kind to these ruins, the remains still tell a fascinating story of Anglo-Norman settlement in the Irish midlands.

The castle itself is a rectangular tower that once measured approximately 12.4 metres by 8 metres, built with walls an impressive 1.8 metres thick; a testament to the defensive concerns of its builders. This tower partially projects from the eastern side of what’s known as a bawn, essentially a fortified courtyard that was a common feature of Irish castles. The bawn here forms an irregular rectangle, roughly 27 metres north to south and 33 metres east to west, though some surveys suggest it may have been larger, possibly up to 40 by 50 metres. Today, visitors can trace its outline through the grass-covered remains of collapsed walls and stony banks that mark its perimeter.

What makes Clare Castle particularly intriguing is the evidence of internal division within the bawn. A slight bank running east to west across the northern section, complete with stone wall footings, suggests the space was subdivided for different purposes; perhaps separating areas for livestock, storage, or accommodation for the castle’s inhabitants. Archaeological surveys by the Archaeological Survey of Ireland have documented these features in detail, helping us understand how such fortified sites functioned as both defensive structures and working agricultural centres in medieval Ireland.