The original castle, built around 1540, appears on the Down Survey maps from 1655-6 as a stylised fortress, marking its importance in the local landscape. Today, whilst the structure has been modernised and topped with later additions, the medieval stonework remains in good preservation, offering visitors a tangible link to five centuries of Irish history.

The castle’s story is inseparable from the Forrestall family, who held lordship here for generations. Robert Forrestall, chief of his name and lord of Kilferagh, died in March 1541 and lies buried in nearby Sheestown church. His descendants continued to hold the manor through turbulent times; Patrick Forrestall and his wife Ellen Comerford both died in 1568, whilst their son Robert received a royal pardon in 1572 for a fine of 40 shillings. James Forrestall, who succeeded as lord in 1585, served as Constable of the Barony of Shillelogher in 1608 and held the manor until his death in 1619. An inquisition held at Kilkenny’s Session House in 1621 confirmed that his son Robert, then 30 and married, had inherited the estate in fee.

The family’s fortunes took a dramatic turn during the Cromwellian period. As an “Irish Papist,” Robert Forrestall forfeited all the family possessions in 1653, ending over a century of Forrestall ownership. The castle eventually became part of the grounds of the newer Kilferagh House, which was built directly against the tower house in the early 1800s. This unusual architectural marriage preserves both the defensive strength of the medieval tower and the domestic comfort of a Georgian country house, creating a unique monument to the layers of Irish history written into this single site.