This rectangular tower house, measuring 12.6 metres north to south and 9.25 metres east to west, belonged to the Fitzgeralds before becoming entangled in the Desmond Rebellion of 1579. Following the rebellion’s suppression, the castle was granted to Sir Walter Raleigh, though by 1641 it had already fallen into ruin and passed into the ownership of the Earl of Cork.

The castle’s defensive architecture reveals the paranoia and practical concerns of its medieval builders. Entry through the modified southern doorway leads directly beneath a murder hole, where defenders could rain down projectiles on unwelcome visitors. The ground floor features a barrel-vaulted ceiling and embrasures in three walls, whilst a complex system of mural and newel stairs winds through the southwestern corner, connecting four floors. The first floor served domestic purposes with its fireplace, oven, and garderobe, whilst the second floor boasts elegant ogee-headed windows that hint at more comfortable living quarters. The third floor’s limestone windows with stepped heads and dressed ingoings demonstrate the quality of craftsmanship, even as the crenellations that once crowned the wall-walk have long since crumbled away.

A retaining wall stands 2 to 4 metres from the tower’s base on the south and east sides, possibly the remnants of an original bawn; a fortified courtyard that would have provided additional protection. Curved, bastion-like features at the northeastern and southeastern angles suggest this wasn’t merely a residential tower but part of a more extensive defensive complex. Today, these weathered stones offer visitors a glimpse into the sophisticated military architecture of late medieval Ireland, where comfort and security were carefully balanced in these formidable stone towers.