The castle appears on the Down Survey maps from 1655–6, marked as ‘Hyrath’ on the barony map of Gowran and as ‘Highrath’ on the parish map of Blackrath and St Martins. These invaluable cartographic records, now held by Trinity College Dublin and the National Library of Ireland respectively, provide a snapshot of land ownership in mid-17th century Ireland.

The castle’s ownership tells a story of changing fortunes typical of Irish estates during this turbulent period. Edmund Shortall held the castle and lands of Highrath until his death on 4 September 1602, and by 1640, the accompanying terrier lists Peter Shortall as proprietor, suggesting the property remained within the family. However, by 1664, the records show Edmund Jackson paying four shillings in hearth money for his house at Highrath, indicating a change in ownership that likely occurred during the Commonwealth period.

When the antiquarian William Carrigan wrote about the castle in 1905, he noted it was occupied as a dwelling house by a farmer named Ryan, described as ‘respectable’; a designation that carried particular social weight in early 20th century Ireland. Despite its alterations and the loss of its uppermost level, the castle continues to serve as a working farmhouse, its thick walls having sheltered various families through four centuries of Irish history, from the Shortalls through the Jacksons to the Ryans, each leaving their mark on this enduring structure.