The castle sits on wet, undulating ground with an old farmhouse nearby to the southwest, whilst remnants of its original bawn wall still run north to south on its eastern side. Built in the 15th or early 16th century, the tower underwent significant alterations in the late 1500s or early 1600s, with further conservation work carried out by the Office of Public Works in the 1940s.

The castle's connection to the Butler family runs deep through Irish noble history. Peter Butler of Grallagh, who lived from 1521 to 1578, inherited these lands through his father James Butler, the 10th Baron of Dunboyne, in 1533. Peter served as sheriff of the liberty around 1560, though the estate returned to Lord Dunboyne in 1591. By the time of the Civil Survey in 1654-6, the property was described as having 'a good castle on them with a bawne & some few Tents. & Cabbins', with Thomas Butler of Kilconnel recorded as the proprietor in 1640.

The tower house itself is an impressive example of medieval defensive architecture, measuring approximately 9.8 by 12.75 metres externally. Its thick limestone walls, ranging from 2.3 to 2.45 metres, rise through four storeys, each revealing different periods of construction and modification. The ground floor features a barrel-vaulted chamber with evidence of wicker-centring at its apex and a cobbled floor. A cleverly designed entrance system includes multiple murder-holes for defence, whilst the upper floors showcase a mix of architectural features: flat and ogee-headed windows with hood-mouldings, wall cupboards, garderobes, and fireplaces. The third floor is particularly notable for its triple arcade on the southwest wall and double arcade on the northeast wall, both supporting mural chambers. At the roof level, circular bartizans at the north and south angles rest on corbels, and a circular chimney stack with a string course adorns the southeast wall; remnants of the tower's defensive wall-walk and parapet are still visible today.