The name derives from the Irish ‘clogh easka’, meaning a stone water-channel, and the castle has been home to the Codd family since at least 1600, when young Jasper Codd inherited it along with 120 acres. This branch of the Codds diverged from their relatives at Castletown Carne, though exactly when this split occurred remains unclear.

The tower house itself is a masterclass in medieval security features. Entry through the pointed stone doorway on the north wall would have been a daunting prospect for any unwelcome visitor; defenders could rain down attacks through the machicolation above, drop a portcullis to trap intruders, and if that wasn’t enough, there’s a murder-hole just inside the entrance. The interior reveals five floors connected by mural stairs, each level serving different purposes. The second floor, built over a vault, was clearly the main living space with its fireplace and multiple chambers, including a rather sinister feature: a hidden oubliette chamber concealed within the thickness of the vault, accessible through a chamber off the main room. The upper floors contain garderobes, more chambers, and defensive slit windows, whilst the roof retains its stepped battlements complete with musket-loops at the corners.

Following various changes in ownership during the 1660s, when the estate passed to Edmond Waddy, the castle continued to evolve. An 18th-century house was built adjoining the north side of the tower, though it may incorporate earlier masonry given the presence of a musket-loop and slit window in its walls. Recent restoration work has converted both structures into a dwelling, and archaeological excavations in 2004 uncovered remnants of the original packed clay floor in the ground-floor chamber, along with late medieval and post-medieval pottery sherds that help tell the story of centuries of continuous occupation.