Built by Sir Francis Annesley around 1621, the original structure consisted of a fortified house surrounded by a protective bawn, a defensive courtyard wall typical of the period when English and Scottish settlers were establishing themselves in Ireland. Today, only fragments of this once-imposing complex survive to tell its story.

The most notable surviving feature is a D-shaped mural tower from the eastern side of the bawn wall. This defensive tower, measuring 2.9 metres north to south and 1.4 metres east to west internally, rises to a height of 3.5 metres. Its walls, constructed from roughly coursed stone about a metre thick, demonstrate the substantial building techniques employed during this turbulent period. Though the tower is now open at the back, evidence suggests it originally had a 1.5-metre-wide entrance on its western side leading to the ground floor.

The tower’s defensive capabilities are evident in its gun loops; five narrow openings on the ground floor, each measuring between 7 and 11 centimetres wide and 32 centimetres high, which would have allowed defenders to fire upon attackers whilst remaining protected. At least one similar opening existed on the first floor, indicating the tower had multiple levels of defence. These architectural details, documented by researchers Loeber and Stouthamer-Loeber in 1987, provide valuable insights into how plantation settlers fortified their homes during a period of significant social and political upheaval in Irish history.