Built during the 15th or 16th century, the structure represents the type of fortified residence favoured by Anglo-Norman families and Gaelicised lords throughout this period. Tower houses like this one served a dual purpose; they were both family homes and defensive strongholds, designed to protect against raids whilst displaying the wealth and status of their owners.

The tower follows the typical design of its era, rising several storeys high with thick stone walls that taper slightly as they ascend. Each floor would have served different functions, with storage and service areas at ground level, the main hall on the first floor for dining and receiving guests, and private chambers above. The narrow spiral staircase, built into the thickness of the walls, connects these levels whilst also serving as a defensive feature; its clockwise ascent gave right-handed defenders an advantage against attackers climbing upwards. Murder holes, narrow window slits, and battlements along the roofline provided additional protection.

Carrickcloney’s position in County Kilkenny places it within one of Ireland’s most densely castellated regions, where over 200 tower houses once dotted the landscape. Many of these structures fell into ruin following the Cromwellian conquest and subsequent changes in land ownership, but this particular tower house has survived remarkably intact. Its endurance offers visitors a tangible connection to a turbulent period when local chieftains and merchants required fortified homes to protect their families, livestock, and valuable goods from both organised military campaigns and opportunistic raiders.