Once a formidable stronghold within a medieval borough, the castle now exists only as scattered stones, having been creatively repurposed by nineteenth-century residents into an ornamental rockery for nearby Modreeny House. The site offers commanding views across the surrounding countryside, a strategic advantage that would have served its medieval inhabitants well.

By the mid-seventeenth century, the castle was already showing its age. The Civil Survey of 1654-6 paints a melancholy picture of the estate under John Carroll’s ownership in 1640: the castle and its defensive bawn reduced to mere standing walls, accompanied by a decaying orchard, garden plot, and three thatched houses with failing hedgerows. This detailed historical snapshot provides a rare glimpse into the gradual decline of Ireland’s minor fortifications during this turbulent period.

Today, visitors searching for architectural features will find themselves disappointed; centuries of neglect and the Victorian landscaping project have erased any distinguishable medieval characteristics. What remains is essentially a historical puzzle in stone form, its confused jumble of masonry serving as a rather unconventional garden feature. It’s a curious example of how Ireland’s medieval heritage has been absorbed, quite literally, into later domestic landscapes, transforming from defensive architecture into decorative stonework.