This compact tower house, likely built in the 16th century, was home to Phelemy Brasleigh O’Doherty in 1600 before passing to Arthur Chichester during the Plantation of Ulster in 1611. Chichester promptly leased it to a Lieutenant Hoan, who set about reinforcing the castle with a sturdy bawn, or defensive wall, constructed from lime and stone.

The tower itself is a modest structure built from rubble with dressed corner stones, held together by coarse sea sand mortar. Its walls taper inward as they rise from the ground, and though time has taken its toll, evidence of the original layout remains visible. The ground floor preserves traces of a splayed window in the south wall and what appears to be the original doorway on the east side. Moving up to the first floor, you can still spot the holes where wooden joists once supported the flooring, along with a large wall cupboard built directly into the western wall’s thickness. The second floor appears to be a later addition, constructed with different masonry techniques, though only fragments of this level survive today.

What makes Carrickabraghy particularly fascinating are the defensive additions grafted onto the original tower. A semi-circular tower projects from the southeast corner, complete with gun loops and a doorway featuring a drawbar mechanism for security. This tower connects to a defensive wall that once stretched east across the promontory, with traces still visible for about 12 metres. Another semi-circular tower once stood 42 metres south of the main keep, though only a small western segment remains today, preserving one complete gun loop and part of another. These later fortifications, likely Lieutenant Hoan’s handiwork, transformed the simple tower house into a more formidable defensive complex, reflecting the uncertain times of early 17th century Ulster when both old Gaelic families and new English settlers needed strongholds to protect their interests.