Measuring 10 metres north to south and 8.5 metres east to west, the structure survives to three storeys, though time and nature have taken their toll; the south wall only partially remains at second floor level, with the upper portions having been blown down during a fierce storm in 1839. Today, visitors enter through a doorway with a deteriorating wooden frame on the western end of the north wall, though this appears to be a 19th-century modification. A blocked opening at the eastern end of the same wall likely marks the original entrance, whilst window openings punctuate both the eastern and western walls.

The first floor reveals more of the tower’s medieval character, with a round-arched doorway positioned centrally in the north wall and window openings in the western, southern, and eastern walls. These windows feature flat-headed lights with arched embrasures, typical of defensive architecture from the period. The floor itself is covered by a rounded barrel vault running north to south, demonstrating the sophisticated construction techniques employed by its builders. At the southwest corner, the lower steps of a spiral stone staircase remain visible, housed within what appears to be a later corner tower addition that has since collapsed.

Known locally as Aghamarta Castle, the tower’s origins are somewhat disputed amongst historians. Coleman suggested it was built by the first Earl of Desmond, whilst O Murchadha notes the castle first appears in historical records during the mid-16th century as the residence of the Wynchedon or Nugent family. By the late 16th century, ownership had passed to the Russells, who served as hereditary castellans to the Earl of Desmond. This transition of ownership reflects the complex political landscape of medieval and early modern Cork, where loyalty, land, and power were constantly shifting amongst Anglo-Norman and Gaelic families.