The King’s Channel, a distinctive loop of the river, flows approximately 170 metres to the northwest of the site. In 1640, the castle was recorded as the property of Lord Power of Curraghmore, one of the prominent landowners in County Waterford during that period.

The castle itself is a rectangular tower house measuring roughly 7.85 metres from north to south and 6.5 metres from east to west. Though it survives to its second floor, the structure has undergone significant alterations over the centuries and was eventually incorporated into Ballycanvan House, which has since fallen into ruin. The original entrance was through a doorway near the southern end of the eastern wall, now destroyed, which led into a ground floor defended by three embrasures; narrow openings designed for defensive purposes.

The building’s internal features tell a story of both functionality and decay. Mural stairs built into the eastern wall once provided access between floors but have long since been blocked off. Unlike many Irish tower houses of its era, there’s no evidence that this castle ever featured vaulting on its lower levels. The upper floors have lost most of their original character, with only an antechamber above the entrance surviving as a reminder of the castle’s former layout. This combination of surviving medieval fabric and later modifications makes Ballycanvan Castle a fascinating example of how Ireland’s fortified buildings evolved and adapted through the centuries.