This four-storey tower house, built from uncoursed rubble with smartly dressed granite quoins at its corners, once stood as part of the medieval borough of Burgage More. Today, only its north and west walls remain standing, reaching a maximum height of eight metres, whilst periodic rises in the reservoir’s water level continue to undermine its foundations.

The castle’s modest interior dimensions, measuring 4.65 metres east to west and 5.05 metres north to south, reveal the typical compact design of Irish tower houses. Its architectural details speak to centuries of occupation: a two-centred arch frames the doorway in the western wall, whilst windows at various levels show different construction styles; lintelled openings at the first and third floors, and a round-arched window at second-floor level. Wooden floors once rested on granite corbels that still project from the walls, and historical accounts from the early 20th century mention a staircase tucked into the southeast corner, though this feature has since been lost.

The tower house sits within the old graveyard, adding another layer to its historical significance. When the Ordnance Survey visited in the 1920s, they found it already in ruins, a state that has only progressed as the reservoir, created in the 1940s, has gradually encroached upon this remnant of medieval Wicklow. The castle’s ongoing battle with the rising waters makes it a poignant reminder of how modern infrastructure projects can inadvertently threaten our archaeological heritage.