When the Anglo-Norman lord Richard de Clare, better known as Strongbow, conquered the Kingdom of Leinster in 1172, he distributed lands amongst his loyal followers as rewards for their service. Gowran fell into the hands of Theobald fitz Walter, who would become the first Chief Butler of Ireland, establishing a connection between the Butler family and this strategic location that would last for centuries. Around this time, a motte and bailey castle likely rose from the landscape, though its exact location remains a mystery to modern archaeologists.

The Butler family’s relationship with Gowran intensified during the latter half of the 14th century when political upheaval forced them to abandon their stronghold at Nenagh. Gowran became their principal seat, serving as the heart of Butler power until they acquired the grander Kilkenny Castle in 1391. During this pivotal period, around 1385, James Butler, the 3rd Earl of Ormond, commissioned a new castle at Gowran, presumably replacing or incorporating the earlier Norman fortification. This medieval stronghold would have dominated the local landscape, projecting Butler authority across their Irish domains.

Today, visitors to Gowran will find no towering walls or crumbling battlements; both the original motte and bailey and the later Butler castle have vanished from view, leaving only archaeological traces beneath the ground. Whether the 14th-century castle was built atop its predecessor or stood elsewhere in the demesne remains an intriguing puzzle. These phantom fortifications serve as reminders of how dramatically Ireland’s landscape has changed since the medieval period, when castles dotted the countryside and the Butler earls rode out from Gowran to shape the destiny of Anglo-Norman Ireland.