This rectangular tower house, measuring 13.5 metres northwest to southeast and 9.7 metres southwest to northeast, tells a story of medieval power and strategic river control. Local tradition holds that the Brinny River once flowed on the western side of what’s now known as ‘castle garden’, a field on the opposite bank, suggesting the waterways may have been deliberately diverted at some point in history.

The castle’s current state reveals much about its original construction and later modifications. The northwestern half still reaches four storeys, though in poor repair, whilst the rest has largely collapsed except for the ground floor of the southeastern wall. Interestingly, the base walls show two different thicknesses; the northwestern and southwestern walls measure 1.8 metres thick, whilst the northeastern and southeastern walls are considerably more robust at 2.5 metres. The northwestern wall features square window embrasures with segmental vaulted heads and built-in gun loops, indicating defensive modifications likely made in the 16th century. A second-floor window displays a single ogee-headed light, typical of late medieval Irish architecture, though a concerning vertical crack now runs through the centre of this wall.

Originally built as a stronghold of the Barry Óg clan, the castle later passed to the MacCarthy Riabhach family. Local tradition dates its construction to 1476, though the presence of gun loops suggests significant rebuilding or repairs during the 16th century. The interior once featured sophisticated amenities for its time, including a garderobe chute at the southern end of the southeastern wall and, according to 19th-century accounts, an L-shaped garderobe chamber at first-floor level. A pointed vault with wicker centering once covered the second floor, running northwest to southeast, with traces of a mural passage still visible on its northeastern side. The site’s later history includes a 17th-century ironworks nearby, and an incised stone discovered in the castle garden has since been moved to a local outhouse for preservation.