The Civil Survey of 1654-6 mentions these castle walls, which were then in the possession of Sir James Ware, likely situated where Ward House stands today. By 1779, when antiquarian Austin Cooper visited the site, the fortification had already fallen into considerable disrepair; what remained was merely the ground floor, constructed from small, flat stones and showing clear signs of deterioration.

Cooper’s detailed observations provide a tantalising glimpse of the castle’s final layout before it disappeared entirely. He noted a doorway at one end facing a window, with a Gothic door in the left corner that opened onto an orchard. These architectural fragments suggest a structure that once held considerable importance in the area, though its exact history and the circumstances of its decline remain unclear. The Gothic doorway, in particular, hints at medieval origins and the kind of defensive residence common to Anglo-Norman settlements throughout the Pale.

Today, visitors to Ward House will find little evidence of this lost castle, though remnants of the old orchard still exist behind the current building. The transformation of the site from medieval stronghold to country house reflects centuries of change in this part of Dublin, where defensive structures gave way to more comfortable domestic dwellings as the need for fortification diminished. While the physical remains have vanished, the documentary evidence compiled by researchers like Geraldine Stout and Christine Baker ensures that this piece of Ward’s medieval heritage isn’t entirely forgotten.