Built in 1579 by William Locke and Kathleen Allen, as recorded on a granite tablet above the original entrance, this square tower incorporates defensive features typical of its era, including a projecting circular angle tower on the southwest corner. The heavily mortared gateway attached to the western gable may contain remnants of an even earlier medieval structure, suggesting the site’s strategic importance long before the current tower was constructed.

The tower’s interior reveals the practical design choices of 16th century builders. Originally accessed through a round-headed doorway in the west wall, visitors now enter via a later opening on the east side that leads directly to the ground floor, which measures approximately 6 metres long by 4.8 metres wide, with walls nearly a metre thick. A spiral stairway tucked into the southwest corner, illuminated by narrow defensive loops, winds its way up through all four levels and continues past the battlements to the top of the stair turret. While the original timber floors have long since vanished, the upper storeys retain their plain rectangular windows set deep into the walls’ embrasures, and a later brick fireplace inserted into the south wall of the second floor hints at attempts to modernise the living quarters over the centuries.

The tower doesn’t stand alone; a mid-18th century house was attached to its southern end, creating an intriguing architectural timeline that spans nearly 500 years. This combination of defensive medieval architecture and later Georgian additions tells the story of Ireland’s changing social landscape, from the fortified residences necessary during turbulent times to the more comfortable domestic arrangements that became possible as the country grew more peaceful. Today, the restored battlements crown this historic structure, offering visitors a glimpse into the lives of the Anglo-Irish gentry who once called these thick stone walls home.