The structure dates back to the tower house tradition that flourished across Ireland between the 15th and 17th centuries, when local lords and wealthy families built these fortified residences to protect their holdings and assert their status in the surrounding landscape.

The castle’s design follows the typical tower house pattern; a multi-storey stone structure with thick walls, narrow windows, and defensive features that balanced the needs of comfortable living with military practicality. These buildings served as both family homes and strongholds, containing living quarters, storage areas, and often a great hall for entertaining guests and conducting business. The walls, built from locally quarried limestone, have weathered centuries of Irish weather whilst maintaining much of their original character.

Today, Castlecrine Castle stands as a reminder of a turbulent period in Irish history when local control was contested between Gaelic Irish families, Anglo-Norman settlers, and later English authorities. The surrounding countryside of Clare is dotted with similar structures, each telling its own story of the families who built them, the conflicts they witnessed, and the gradual transition from medieval to modern Ireland. Visitors to the site can appreciate not just the architectural achievement of its builders, but also gain insight into how power, wealth, and security were intertwined in medieval Irish society.