Built in 1642 by Edmund Supple and Margaret Gerald, as recorded in a Latin inscription carved above one of the fireplaces, this cruciform tower house represents one of the last gasps of castle building in Ireland. The main rectangular block stretches 21.75 metres east to west and 9.5 metres north to south, with projecting wings extending from both the northern and southern faces. Though the battlements have long since disappeared, the walls still stand to their full four-storey height with an attic level above, each floor clearly marked by string courses running along the exterior walls.

The castle’s defensive features reveal the uncertain times in which it was built. Thirteen gun loops pierce the ground floor walls, concentrated mainly in the projecting wings, whilst a machicolation above the main entrance door at first-floor level in the south projection provided additional protection for defenders. The main entrance itself, accessed by what would have been an external wooden stair or ladder, features a semi-circular arch with evidence of a recess above where a stone plaque once displayed the family arms. A secondary entrance at ground level in the north projection led directly to the kitchen, complete with fireplace, broken lintel, and two bread ovens; though the decorative surrounds have been removed over the centuries.

Inside, the castle was surprisingly comfortable for its time, with twelve fireplaces spread across the floors and large windows providing ample light to all levels except the defensive ground floor. These windows range from simple single openings to elaborate designs divided by two mullions and a transom, though most are now missing their cut-stone lintels, removed during the 19th century according to local historian Gleeson. The north projection once housed a wooden newel staircase, its ghostly outline still visible in plaster shadows on the walls, which provided access to all upper floors and the wall walk. By 1750, the castle was still inhabited by a Mr Smith, who found it modern enough for comfortable living, though today the wooden floors have long since vanished, leaving only the joist holes to hint at the domestic arrangements of this fascinating survival from Ireland’s turbulent past.