The structure dates back to the late medieval period, when tower houses like this one were built across Ireland by both Gaelic Irish chieftains and Anglo-Norman families. These fortified residences served dual purposes; they were both defensive strongholds and symbols of power and wealth in an era marked by territorial disputes and clan rivalries.

The castle’s architecture follows the typical design of Irish tower houses, featuring thick stone walls, narrow windows, and multiple floors that would have housed everything from storage areas and kitchens on the lower levels to living quarters and reception halls above. Like many such structures in the west of Ireland, it likely belonged to one of the prominent local families who controlled this region of Mayo during the turbulent centuries following the Norman invasion. The castle would have commanded views over the surrounding countryside, allowing its occupants to monitor their lands and spot approaching visitors or potential threats.

Today, the castle stands as a reminder of Mayo’s complex medieval past, when the county was divided between various Gaelic septs and Norman settlers who had become “more Irish than the Irish themselves”. Though time and weather have taken their toll on the structure, its ruins continue to dominate the local landscape, offering visitors a tangible connection to the centuries when such fortifications dotted the Irish countryside and local lords ruled from behind stone walls.