The castle site includes what appears to be remnants of a bawn wall; a defensive perimeter that would have enclosed an area roughly 60 metres in diameter. These protective walls, built along the edge of the rock outcrop, would have provided an additional layer of security for the castle’s inhabitants during the turbulent centuries of Irish history.

The Civil Survey of Limerick, compiled in the 1650s, provides a fascinating glimpse into the castle’s ownership during the plantation period. In 1640, the property was held by Captain George Ingoldesbly, an English proprietor who possessed ‘one castle and Bawen thereunto belonginge’, as recorded by surveyor Robert Simington in 1938. This documentation confirms that the bawn was still standing and functional in the mid-17th century, serving as part of the defensive complex during a period when such fortifications were essential for settler security.

Today, whilst the castle itself may be largely ruinous, modern technology has revealed traces of its former defensive perimeter. Digital Globe aerial photographs show what appear to be the ghostly outlines of the enclosure or bawn wall, offering archaeologists and historians valuable insights into the original extent of this fortified site. These aerial images help piece together the castle’s layout and defensive capabilities, demonstrating how natural topography and human engineering combined to create a formidable stronghold in medieval and early modern Limerick.