This rectangular tower house, marked on historic Ordnance Survey maps, was once a formidable stronghold that witnessed centuries of conflict and changing ownership. The castle appears on the 1657 Down Survey map of Kenry Barony as a tower house beside a single-storey dwelling, complete with a prominent chimney stack rising above the roofline.

The castle’s documented history stretches back to 1569, when it surrendered to English forces during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. Edmund mac David of Ballygleaghan was pardoned that year for his service under Sir Humphrey Gilbert, but the castle’s strategic importance made it a recurring target. In April 1580, as Desmond’s followers retreated before Lord Deputy Pelham following the fall of Carrigfoile Castle, they burnt both Askeaton and Ballygleaghan castles rather than let them fall into enemy hands. By 1583, the castle was held by Edward mac David mac Ruddery under the Knight of Glin, and it continued changing hands through various grants and sales, eventually being acquired by W. Taylor of Burton and Ballinort in 1703, who settled it on his younger son Richard.

Historical records paint a picture of an impressive defensive structure; the Down Survey and Trustee maps show it as a strong peel tower within a square court, featuring turrets at each corner. A 1703 estate book describes it as “a very strong castle in good repair with a bawn of lime and stone about it, near 30 feet high, with four strong turrets, an orchard and a garden”. While much of the original structure has been lost to time, parts of the medieval castle were incorporated into Hollypark House when it was built around 1770. Today, visitors can still spot a turret and large flanker alongside the Georgian Gothic country house, which features battlemented turrets and pointed arched windows; tangible reminders of the formidable fortress that once dominated this corner of County Limerick.