Built by the O’Loughlins sometime in the fifteenth century, this fortified residence was constructed within the existing ring wall of a much older cashel, effectively repurposing the prehistoric fortification as a protective bawn. The O’Loughlins appear to have been rather troublesome occupants; historical records show they required several government pardons over the years, suggesting a family frequently at odds with the authorities.

The tower house gateway, which originally faced southeast, was demolished sometime before 1839, leaving behind only fragments of what was once a formidable defensive structure. Today, visitors will find a grass-covered mound of rubble measuring roughly 9 metres by 7.5 metres, extending beyond the cashel wall. Within this mound, keen observers can spot remnants of the castle’s past: a narrow lintelled doorway that once served as the entrance, and remarkably, ten stone steps of the original stairway that led towards the cashel wall. Two narrow windows flank the base of these stairs, though they’ve long since been blocked with fallen debris.

Writing in 1901, antiquarian Thomas Johnson Westropp documented these ruins when they were already centuries old, noting traces of an ambrey and additional steps amongst the masonry heaps south of the former gateway. The site represents one of only three known examples in County Clare where a late medieval tower house was built in direct association with a prehistoric cashel, making it a particularly interesting example of how medieval families adapted and reused Ireland’s ancient defensive structures. The surrounding area also contains evidence of a large field system, showing continuous occupation and use of this landscape across multiple historical periods.