Built sometime in the mid-16th century, this rectangular tower house lasted barely a hundred years before Cromwellian forces blew it up around 1650. Today, the ruins reveal a sophisticated defensive structure measuring 15.2m by 12.3m, constructed from roughly dressed sandstone blocks and split stone with a rubble core of chippings and beach pebbles. Three storeys remain of what was likely a four-storey castle, though time and the historic explosion have taken their toll; large cracks run vertically up the western and northern walls, whilst the eastern wall stands at only 2.5m high, save for the attached returns.

What makes Minard particularly intriguing is its unusual internal layout, especially the eastern end which was entirely occupied by mezzanine floors. The ground floor entrance, positioned at the southern end of the east wall, led through a mural lobby complete with a murder hole overhead; a grim reminder of the castle’s defensive capabilities. The main ground floor chamber was originally roofed with a segmental vault raised on wicker centering, though this collapsed during the 1650 explosion. Throughout the castle, ogee-headed windows with double chamfered jambs provided light, whilst defensive features included narrow loops with wooden shutters, secured by draw bars and pivots whose sockets remain visible in the stonework.

The castle’s vertical circulation was equally complex, with a circular staircase beginning at the lower mezzanine level in the southeast angle, its bond holes for wooden treads and risers still visible in the surviving masonry. Each floor served distinct purposes; the first floor featured a large fireplace and wall cupboards, whilst a barrel-vaulted mural chamber in the south wall provided additional defensive positions. The second floor included garderobe chambers and mural passages within the thickness of the walls, accessed through pointed doorways. Despite its current precarious state, with foundation courses defaced and corners undermined, Minard Castle remains a remarkable example of late medieval Irish tower house architecture, preserving enough detail to reveal the sophisticated planning that went into these seemingly simple rectangular structures.