This small tower house, once owned by Walter Butler of Noddstowne around 1640, was already falling into disrepair by the time of the Civil Survey in 1654; the surveyors rather bluntly described it as ‘a small castle out of repaire’. Built from roughly coursed sandstone rubble, the rectangular structure originally measured about 6.55 metres by 8.6 metres, with walls nearly two metres thick; a testament to the defensive requirements of the era.

Today, only fragments of this once formidable structure remain standing. The southeast wall survives to two storeys, along with partial sections of the northeast and southwest walls, whilst the northwest wall has vanished entirely. The ground floor’s main entrance, which once stood at the southeast end of the northeast wall, has been destroyed, though a simple slit window in the centre of the southeast wall still offers a glimpse into how the interior was originally lit. The barrel vault that once covered the ground floor has long since collapsed, leaving the ruins open to the elements.

The castle’s builders clearly understood defensive architecture, having scarped the northeastern side of the natural hillock to create a protective bailey. On the southwestern side, where the natural slope provided less protection, they dug a shallow fosse, or defensive ditch, to complete the fortifications. These earthworks remain visible today, offering visitors a sense of how this modest stronghold once commanded its strategic position above the river valley, watching over the surrounding landscape of medieval Tipperary.