These ivy-clad stone fragments are all that remain of what was once a rectangular fortification measuring approximately 23 metres east to west and 12.5 metres north to south. Though time and weather have reduced the structure to its foundations and partial walls, visitors can still trace the outline of this Barry family stronghold through three surviving corners: the southwest, northwest, and southeast sections.

The castle’s most intriguing architectural features are the tower-like projections that jut from the northwest and southeast corners, original elements that would have provided both defensive advantages and structural support. While the southwest and northwest corners remain connected by an infill wall built atop the original foundations, the walls themselves show significant battering; their sloped faces bearing the scars of centuries. Unfortunately, no original openings such as doors or windows have survived to give us a clearer picture of daily life within these walls.

Despite its prominent location and connection to the influential Barry family, remarkably little is documented about Shanaclogh Castle’s history. Local records and archaeological surveys have yielded few details about when it was built, who lived there, or what role it played in the region’s medieval politics. This gap in the historical record makes the castle all the more intriguing; a stone puzzle waiting in a Cork pasture, its secrets hidden beneath centuries of ivy and silence.