The castle’s placement was no accident; situated at a bend where the River Dinin meets the Deen junction to the west, it once commanded sweeping views across the valley and held control over this important river crossing. Though the structure has largely vanished from sight at ground level, its presence still lingers in the landscape and local memory.

Historical records paint a picture of a modest fortification that witnessed centuries of changing ownership. The Ordnance Survey Letters of 1839 noted that “portions of an old castle of no great strength” were still visible in the townland, suggesting it was built more for local defence than as a major military stronghold. Local tradition attributes its construction to the O’Brenans, one of the area’s Gaelic families, though documentary evidence shows that by 1404, the townland of Clougharinka had passed into the hands of the Purcells of Ballyfoyle, who retained ownership through to the 17th century.

By 1655, the castle was recorded as being “in reasonable repair,” indicating it remained inhabited and functional well into the early modern period. However, time and neglect have taken their toll, and according to the historian Carrigan, writing in 1905, only “an inconsiderable portion” of the structure survived into the 20th century. Today, visitors to this corner of Kilkenny must use their imagination to conjure the castle that once stood here, using the natural topography and historical accounts to piece together its story.