The site consists of two stone towers connected by a later wall, with the eastern tower displaying late medieval characteristics whilst the western tower appears to be older, possibly dating from the 13th century. According to historical records, the Fitzgeralds built this stronghold around 1389 to control the river crossing, and it later served as a powerfully garrisoned fortress for the Earl of Desmond against Elizabeth I’s forces during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. Following the Munster Plantation, ownership passed to Richard Boyle, and remarkably, the castle remained inhabited until the early 19th century.

The eastern tower is L-shaped, measuring approximately 8.5 metres east to west and 6.8 metres north to south, with a small projection on its southern side housing a spiral staircase accessed through a pointed arch doorway. Though much reduced from its original height; the tower was partially demolished around 1850 due to safety concerns; it still retains fascinating architectural details including a first-floor chamber with a wicker-centred pointed vault and narrow windows with splayed, lintelled embrasures. The western tower, slightly larger at 11.3 metres by 8.75 metres, shows evidence of considerable alteration over the centuries, with its ground floor divided into two vaulted chambers that once served practical purposes, including a forge and what Waters described in 1916 as a farm boiler house.

Today, both towers stand to roughly first or second floor level, their walls heavily cloaked in ivy and vegetation. The wall linking them, which replaced an earlier, much thicker defensive wall that contained chimney flues, features a reset pointed arch doorway of late medieval appearance positioned about 4.75 metres from the western tower. The eastern tower now connects to Aghern House, a late Georgian residence built in the 19th century that currently serves as accommodation for a stud farm, whilst a modern coachyard occupies the space immediately to the north of the ruins.