The castle’s early history remains somewhat mysterious, though we know it played a significant role during the 1641 rebellion when it withstood a siege before Captain Power, its commander, was eventually convinced to surrender. The Civil Survey of 1654-6 reveals that Thomas Darcy owned the entire 395-acre parish in 1640, complete with the castle, a church, mill, orchard and fishing weir; quite the medieval estate. The D’Arcy family managed to hold onto the property through the Cromwellian settlement and rebuilt the castle during the reign of James II between 1685 and 1689.

The structure itself is an impressive rectangular fortress measuring approximately 15 metres east to west and 10 metres north to south, originally featuring circular towers at each corner, though only the southeast and southwest towers remain today. The ground floor, now buried, was vaulted and included a loft space, whilst the south wall displays two rows of long arrow-loops that suggest construction dating back to the thirteenth century. A newel staircase winds up through the southwest tower, which also features a keyhole gun-loop, whilst the first floor once boasted large windows, now robbed of their stone. A two-storey gabled building with a ground floor oven was added to the eastern side, and the church sits immediately adjacent to the west.

By 1795, when Francis Grose sketched the castle, it was still occupied and intact as a rectangular structure. However, its fortunes took a dramatic turn during the 1798 rising when fire consumed the building, causing the northern half to collapse. Today, visitors can still explore these substantial ruins and imagine the castle in its various incarnations; from medieval fortress to D’Arcy family seat to its final days as a casualty of rebellion.