These low mounds and depressions, though easily overlooked by the casual observer, represent the footprint of what was once a fortified residence. The site offers a glimpse into Ireland’s medieval past, when such castles dotted the countryside, serving as both homes and defensive structures for the Anglo-Norman and Gaelic nobility.

The most distinctive feature still visible today is a circular platform to the east of the main castle site, measuring approximately 50 metres across. This platform is defined by an embankment that curves from south to west, standing about a metre high; a modest elevation that nonetheless clearly marks out this ancient boundary. Archaeological evidence suggests this was likely part of the castle’s bawn, the defensive wall that would have enclosed the castle complex, protecting livestock, supplies, and providing an outer line of defence against raiders.

While the stone walls and towers have long since vanished, either demolished or repurposed for other buildings over the centuries, these earthworks preserve the castle’s basic layout. The site was first documented in detail during the Archaeological Inventory of County Carlow survey in 1993, though subsequent research has added to our understanding of its history and significance. For those interested in Ireland’s castle heritage, Ballymogue represents the countless smaller fortifications that once controlled local territories, their earth and stone foundations now gently returning to the landscape from which they emerged.