The site appears on the Down Survey maps from 1656 to 1658, a comprehensive land survey carried out following the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Today, visitors won’t find dramatic ruins or towering walls; instead, the location presents itself as little more than a raised area on the eastern shoulder of a natural scarp, with no visible features at ground level.

Historical maps tell a more detailed story of this forgotten stronghold. The Ordnance Survey Fair Plan and subsequent editions from 1836 and 1876 marked the site as a ‘Fort’, depicting it as a roughly rectangular area measuring approximately 30 metres north to south and 25 metres east to west. This modest footprint suggests a typical Irish tower house or small fortified dwelling rather than a grand castle, likely built to defend and control the surrounding lands during the medieval period.

The castle’s alternative name, Doncaslan, hints at its Irish origins, though much of its history remains obscured by time. Like many such sites across Ireland, what was once a symbol of power and authority has been reclaimed by the landscape, leaving only cartographic evidence and archaeological records to confirm its existence. The site forms part of County Cavan’s rich archaeological heritage, documented in the Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan, which continues to be updated as new research emerges.