The castle was constructed by William Walsh sometime after 1407, when he received a crown grant that came with an interesting condition; he was required to build a castle on the lands at Balally. This wasn’t the first structure to occupy this strategic spot, however. Historical records suggest that Walsh’s stone fortress may have replaced an earlier wooden dwelling built by John de Walhope in the late 13th century, marking this location as significant for over 700 years.

The tower house that Walsh built would have been typical of its era, serving both as a defensive stronghold and a statement of status in medieval County Dublin. These fortified residences were common throughout Ireland during the 15th and 16th centuries, built by Anglo-Norman families and Gaelic lords alike to protect their lands and assert their authority. The choice of location, on elevated ground with views across the surrounding countryside, would have given the castle’s inhabitants both a tactical advantage and a commanding presence in the local landscape.

Today, the site has been transformed into something rather different; a children’s playground now occupies the spot where Walsh’s castle once stood. Whilst no visible remains of the medieval structure survive above ground, the location continues to serve the local community, albeit in a vastly different capacity. The transformation from medieval fortress to modern playground represents centuries of change in Balally, though the site’s elevated position still offers those same sweeping views that would have been so valuable to its medieval inhabitants.