This imposing limestone structure, dating to the latter half of the 16th century, measures approximately 9 metres in diameter with walls nearly 2 metres thick. The Shortalls held these lands under the Earl of Ormond until 1653, when Cromwell’s forces confiscated their property and transplanted the family to Connacht as punishment for their loyalty to the Crown. Despite some structural cracks and areas where the internal facing has broken away, the tower remains in surprisingly good condition, offering visitors a tangible connection to Ireland’s turbulent past.

The tower’s defensive features reveal the dangerous times in which it was built. Entry is through a pointed doorway on the western face, originally secured by a yett (iron gate) and protected by a murder hole above, through which defenders could rain down projectiles on unwelcome visitors. A spiral staircase winds upward through the walls, lit by narrow loops including a distinctive stirrup-loop between the ground and first floors. The presence of gun-loops flanking the first-floor windows marks this as a late medieval structure, adapted for firearms rather than purely traditional weapons. Each floor served different purposes; the ground level likely stored provisions, whilst the upper chambers provided living quarters with increasingly sophisticated amenities as one ascended.

The third floor reveals some of the tower’s most intriguing features, including two-light ogee-headed windows that would have flooded the chamber with light, a fireplace for warmth, and rather grimly, an oubliette accessed through a trap door hidden in a window embrasure. This secret prison cell, its chamber visible where the vault’s inner facing has broken away, serves as a stark reminder of the tower house’s dual role as both home and fortress. The roofline once bristled with defensive machicolations positioned over the main entrance and at strategic points around the parapet, allowing defenders to drop stones or hot liquids on attackers below. A garderobe (medieval toilet) was thoughtfully positioned at the northeast corner, its chute now blocked but still visible at ground level, completing the picture of a self-contained defensive residence built for uncertain times.