The Down Survey of 1655–6, one of the most comprehensive land surveys in Irish history, marks this castle on its parish map of Powerstown in the barony of Gowran. At that time, the area was still known as Drumroe townland, and the accompanying terrier notes the structure as a “Ruinous Castle”, already in decay by the mid-17th century. The Earl of Ormond held the property in 1640, though this was just one chapter in the castle’s long history.

Before falling into Ormond hands, Drumroe Castle served as a stronghold for the Cavanagh family, who wielded considerable power in medieval Leinster. Local tradition suggests the castle builders chose a particularly significant spot for their fortification; they erected it atop an existing rath, one of Ireland’s ancient ringforts. This practice of building upon earlier defensive sites was common throughout Ireland, with Norman and later builders recognising the strategic value of locations their predecessors had already identified centuries before.

Today, only the castle’s vaulted stone chambers survive, offering visitors a glimpse into medieval construction techniques. These underground spaces, built to last with carefully fitted stonework, have outlived the upper floors and defensive walls that once rose above them. The transformation of the townland’s name from Drumroe to Mountloftus reflects the area’s evolving ownership and identity, whilst the castle ruins stand as a physical link to the contested landscapes of 17th-century Ireland, when the Down Survey documented a country in the aftermath of the Cromwellian conquest.