Built from coursed rubble stone with distinctive rounded corners and a slight outward slope at its base, the tower rises confidently from the Tipperary landscape, accompanied by a nearby church and ringwork to the west. The structure gained additional fortification in the seventeenth century when a Z-plan house was added to its north face, creating a formidable defensive complex.

The tower’s defensive features reveal the careful thought that went into protecting its inhabitants. Entry was gained through a main doorway on the north wall, leading to a lobby overlooked by a murder hole; a grim reminder of the precautions needed in medieval Ireland. A spiral staircase, now blocked, once wound upward from the northeast corner of this lobby. The interior showcases two barrel vaults, one over the ground floor and another above the second floor, where visitors would have found an ornate armorial fireplace bearing the shields of the Butler and Purcell families. The fireplace, though now inaccessible, features intricate decoration including interlaced triangles and six interlaced rings set within a Star of David, alongside family initials that appear to read IFP and either FP or BP.

The tower’s exterior walls tell their own story of medieval life and warfare. A large garderobe chute opening at the base of the east wall served multiple latrines located in the southeast corner; a practical solution to castle sanitation. Defence remained paramount even at the highest levels, with a box machicolation accessible from the attic positioned at the centre of the west wall, whilst cut stone corbels support additional machicolations along the north and south walls at wall walk level. The windows throughout are simple, either single or twin flat-headed openings, prioritising defence over decorative glazing. This monument has been recognised for its historical importance since 1938, when it was placed under a preservation order to ensure its survival for future generations.