This fortified complex, once a principal stronghold of the O’Gara clan, consists of a square bawn measuring 51 metres across, complete with defensive towers at each corner and a gate-tower centred in the western wall. The entire structure is built from uncoursed rubble stone bound with lime mortar, and despite centuries of weathering, much of it still stands close to its original height.

The castle’s evolution can be read in its stones. The oldest section appears to be a rectangular structure along the north side, likely the remains of a late medieval tower-house that predates the curtain walls; you can see where the later walls were simply butted up against its corners. The main defensive complex, with its proliferation of gun loops (38 in total around the perimeter) and slightly angled corner towers, suggests a late 16th or early 17th century construction, possibly rebuilt after Scottish mercenaries burned the buildings in 1581. The southwest tower is the best preserved, rising to three storeys with its embattled parapet still intact, complete with small gun loops piercing the merlons. Each floor had its own entrance from the courtyard, with the upper levels featuring windows and fireplaces for more comfortable accommodation.

The attention to defensive detail is remarkable; gun loops are positioned not just to cover the exterior approaches but also to provide flanking fire along the curtain walls. The main entrance through the western gate-tower was once secured with drawbars and possibly a portcullis, whilst two carved limestone keystones found at the site hint at decorative elements that softened the military architecture. Though the O’Garas weathered attacks by the O’Donnells in 1538 and those Scottish mercenaries in 1581, the castle’s strategic position overlooking the approaches to Lough Gara made it a tempting target throughout its active life. Today, visitors can explore the ruins freely, climbing the surviving towers and walking the same wall-walks where sentries once kept watch over the Sligo countryside.