This tower house, typical of the defensive residences built by Gaelic and Anglo-Norman families during Ireland’s turbulent medieval period, rises four storeys from a rectangular base measuring roughly 10 by 8 metres. The structure’s defensive features are immediately apparent; narrow windows pierce the thick walls, whilst the entrance, originally accessed at first-floor level for security, would have been reached by a wooden ladder that could be pulled up in times of danger.

The castle’s interior reveals the practical yet comfortable lifestyle of its inhabitants. Each floor served a distinct purpose, with the ground level typically used for storage, the first floor housing the main hall where daily life unfolded, and the upper chambers providing private quarters for the family. Notable architectural features include a spiral staircase tucked into the thickness of the wall, murder holes above the entrance passage, and remnants of a bawn wall that once enclosed a courtyard where livestock could be secured during raids. The castle’s builders incorporated several clever defensive elements, including machicolations; stone projections with openings through which defenders could drop stones or hot liquids on attackers below.

Today, Caherrush Castle remains privately owned and stands in varying states of preservation, with some sections remarkably intact whilst others show the inevitable wear of centuries. Local tradition connects the castle to various Clare families, though documentary evidence about its specific owners remains fragmentary. Like many Irish tower houses, it likely changed hands multiple times through conquest, marriage, and purchase, serving as both fortress and home until more peaceful times rendered such defensive dwellings obsolete in the 17th century.