This medieval stronghold sits in a low-lying river valley, with the Clodiagh River flowing north to south about 100 metres to the west. The steep-sided earthwork motte, typical of Norman defensive architecture, would have provided commanding views across the surrounding countryside, though notably no bailey area is visible today.

Historical records paint a rather bleak picture of the castle’s fortunes by the fourteenth century. In 1338, when the manor was under the control of James le Botiller, Earl of Ormond, an inquisition described it simply as ‘a stone tower covered with shingles’, adding the rather damning assessment that it held ‘no value because nobody wishes to hold it’. This abandoned state suggests the site had already lost its strategic importance, perhaps due to changing political circumstances or the development of more comfortable residences elsewhere on the Ormond estates.

The castle’s simple construction; a stone tower with a shingle roof; reflects the practical military architecture of medieval Ireland. Built primarily for defence rather than comfort, these tower houses served as both fortified residences and symbols of Norman authority in the Irish landscape. Today, the combination of the artificial motte and limestone castle ruins offers visitors a tangible connection to the complex medieval history of Tipperary, when powerful Anglo-Norman families like the Butlers carved out territories amongst the older Gaelic lordships.