Built sometime in the 15th or 16th century, this rectangular stronghold rises four storeys high from a slight rise in the landscape, its thick limestone walls punctured by narrow defensive windows. The castle’s strategic position wasn’t chosen by accident; it commands views across the surrounding farmland and would have been a formidable obstacle to any attacking force.

The tower’s defensive features reveal the paranoia of its age. A murder hole above the entrance allowed defenders to rain down projectiles on unwelcome visitors, whilst the spiral staircase winds clockwise, giving right-handed defenders swinging their swords from above a distinct advantage over ascending attackers. The castle’s builders incorporated gun loops alongside traditional arrow slits, showing how medieval fortifications adapted to the arrival of firearms in Ireland. Each floor served a different purpose: storage and servants’ quarters at ground level, the lord’s hall on the first floor where business was conducted, and private chambers above.

Though now roofless and weathered by centuries of Irish rain, Castle Banny remains remarkably intact. The corbelled stone supports that once held wooden floors still jut from the walls, and visitors can trace the outline of fireplaces and garderobes built into the thick walls. Local tradition suggests the castle was abandoned in the 17th century during Cromwell’s campaign through Ireland, though no definitive records survive. Today, cattle graze where armed retainers once kept watch, but the tower still dominates the landscape, a stubborn reminder of when every landowner needed stone walls and a stout door to survive.