This Fitzgerald stronghold served as the seat of power for the Lords of Decies, descendants of Gerald Mór, son of James, the seventh Earl of Desmond. Built in the late 15th century, the castle managed a remarkable feat of survival; whilst many Irish castles fell victim to the Desmond forfeitures and Cromwellian confiscations of the 17th century, Dromana endured, eventually passing through marriage to the Villier-Stuart family in the 1700s.

Today, visitors won’t find much of the original medieval structures, as most were demolished during the 17th century. What remains, however, offers tantalising glimpses into the castle’s defensive past. The base of an impressive circular tower, at least 12 metres in diameter and standing about 6 metres high, still clings to its position overlooking the river. This tower, complete with a defensive base-batter, likely formed a corner of the original bawn wall. Connected to it, an ancient wall of similar height stretches northward for about 8 metres towards what was once a tower house.

The site saw various incarnations over the centuries, with 18th and 19th century additions built by its later inhabitants, though these too have since been demolished. What remains is a fascinating archaeological puzzle; a place where the foundations of medieval power politics quite literally meet the riverbank, offering visitors a chance to stand where the Lords of Decies once surveyed their domain along the Blackwater.