This corner tower, rising nearly five metres high with an internal diameter of just over four metres, offers a glimpse into County Wexford’s turbulent past. Built across two storeys, the structure features four gun loops at ground level; telltale defensive features that speak to the uncertain times in which it served. Four corbels that once supported the first floor remain visible, whilst the walls corbel inward at the top, suggesting the builders may have intended to create a vaulted ceiling.

The history of Dirr stretches back to at least 1575, when the Meyler family held the lands. By 1640, Richard Meyler had expanded his holdings to include 120 acres alongside the castle, as recorded in the Civil Survey conducted between 1654 and 1656. The main castle and its protective bawn wall likely stood to the east of the surviving tower, in what is now the edge of a working farm complex.

Today, this lonely tower serves as a tangible link to Ireland’s medieval past, when fortified homes were essential for families like the Meylers who sought to protect their lands and livelihoods. Though time and neglect have claimed the main castle and most of its defences, this sturdy corner tower continues its centuries-long watch over the Wexford countryside, a testament to the engineering skills of its long-departed builders.