Though commonly known as Quirke’s Castle and now operating as Grant’s Castle hotel, the building’s most significant historical connection is with the Gaelic Kearney family, who ranked among Cashel’s leading families until the Cromwellian confiscations swept away the old order. Thomas Kearney served as Alderman of Cashel in 1640, but the family’s fortunes took a darker turn during the Confederate Wars; Lord Inchiquin used the castle as his garrison headquarters whilst besieging the Rock of Cashel in 1647, and five years later, Fr. John Kearney met his end by hanging within these very walls.

The tower house itself presents a formidable profile, measuring approximately 5.15 by 4.85 metres internally with walls over a metre thick, built from roughly coursed limestone rubble with well-cut quoinstones. Two caphouses crown the structure, running northwest to southeast along opposite walls, whilst the battlements feature distinctive stepped crenellations with wall-walks and drainage spouts, three of which terminate in sculpted human heads with gaping mouths; a rather macabre architectural flourish. The original street-front entrance has been significantly modified, with the mid-section of the northwest wall removed to accommodate a large round-headed arch with modern glass panelling and a decorative portcullis above, reflecting its conversion to hotel use.

Despite extensive internal alterations for its current hospitality function, many original features survive to tell their tale. The spiral staircase in the north angle still winds its way upward, whilst embrasures and wall cupboards remain intact throughout the floors. The second floor retains its pointed vaulted ceiling with visible wicker-centring marks, originally serving as a loft space rather than a proper chamber. The defensive capabilities of the castle are evident in the circular gun-loop in the northwest wall of the southwest caphouse, whilst ogee-headed windows provide both light and a glimpse into medieval architectural preferences. Though the building has evolved from medieval stronghold to modern hotel, requiring modifications like the insertion of water tanks and the raising of floor levels, it remains a tangible link to Cashel’s complex past, when Gaelic families, English administrators, and military commanders all vied for control of this strategic town.