This L-shaped fortified house, built from roughly coursed sandstone rubble, once stood four storeys high with battlements crowning its walls. Today, the structure is in severe disrepair; its southern and western walls have completely collapsed, leaving only the northern sections to hint at its former defensive might. The surviving walls reveal architectural details typical of Irish tower houses, including splayed embrasures, gun loops, and the remnants of triple corbels that once supported the parapets.

The castle sits within what was once an impressive bawn, a fortified enclosure that would have protected livestock and provided an outer line of defence. Fragments of this defensive wall remain, particularly along the southern side where it stretches for 55 metres, and portions of the western and northern sections. The northwestern corner still displays four gun loops, demonstrating the serious defensive considerations of its builders. Interestingly, archaeological evidence suggests an earlier bawn configuration that extended northwest from the current structure, following the natural contours of the raised ground on which the castle stands.

Historical records provide tantalising glimpses into Clonakenny’s past. The Civil Survey of 1654-6 noted ‘a castle out of repayre’ here, curiously omitting any mention of the substantial bawn walls. John O’Magher held the property in 1640, though the castle’s origins likely stretch back further into the medieval period. The site’s strategic position is enhanced by its proximity to a low ridge immediately to the west, topped by a rectangular enclosure and medieval church, creating a complex of historical structures that once dominated this corner of Tipperary. Today, collapsed farm buildings lean against the ancient walls, adding another layer to the site’s long history of use, adaptation, and eventual abandonment.