This O’Reilly stronghold, likely built in the late 14th century, first appears in historical records in 1427 when English forces destroyed it. The castle’s strategic position on elevated ground would have given its occupants commanding views across the surrounding countryside, a crucial advantage in the turbulent politics of medieval Ireland.

Despite its destruction, the castle was rebuilt and continued to serve as a fortification well into the early 17th century. A detailed map from 1591 provides a fascinating glimpse of its appearance: a substantial square building with its main entrance on the western wall, an external staircase on the southern side, and corner turrets at the northwest and southeast that rose above the roofline. The castle stood within a bawn, a defensive courtyard typical of Irish fortifications, which enclosed several outbuildings necessary for daily life and defence.

Time has not been kind to this once-formidable structure. When the antiquarian Lewis visited in 1837, he could still see vaults and foundation remains, but by 1946, archaeologist Davies found only low earthen banks about 75 centimetres high, tracing the outline of the roughly 29-metre square bawn. Today, nothing remains visible at ground level; the fair green gives no hint of the centuries of O’Reilly power and English conflict that once defined this spot. The castle’s complete disappearance serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly even the most substantial medieval buildings can vanish from the landscape, leaving only documentary evidence and archaeological memories behind.