Built sometime in the late medieval period, this stone stronghold once served as both a defensive structure and a residence for local lords. The castle’s thick walls and narrow windows are typical of Irish tower houses from this era, designed to withstand siege whilst providing a comfortable, if somewhat austere, home for its inhabitants.

The tower house follows the classic rectangular plan common to Clare’s medieval fortifications, rising several storeys from its sturdy base. Like many of its contemporaries, Kilkishen Castle would have originally featured a series of timber floors connected by stone spiral staircases built into the thickness of the walls. The ground floor, traditionally used for storage, has the characteristic vaulted ceiling that helped support the upper levels and provided fire resistance; a crucial feature when most interior fittings were made of wood. Murder holes above the entrance and narrow defensive loops throughout the structure remind visitors that this was very much a building designed with conflict in mind.

Today, Kilkishen Castle remains an evocative reminder of Ireland’s turbulent past, when local chieftains and Norman settlers alike built these formidable towers to protect their lands and assert their authority. Though time has taken its toll on the structure, the castle continues to dominate its surroundings, its weathered stones bearing witness to the countless storms, both literal and metaphorical, that have swept across the Clare countryside over the centuries. The detailed survey work by Risteárd Ua Cróinín and Martin Breen has helped document and preserve the architectural legacy of this and other Clare tower houses for future generations.