According to early Ordnance Survey maps, this junction once housed a castle, possibly constructed by Peter Rice in the 16th century. While the original structure has long since vanished, tantalising clues to its existence remain embedded in the surrounding buildings, telling a fragmentary story of Tudor-era Kerry.

The most compelling evidence comes from two carved datestones that once adorned the site. In 1756, historian Charles Smith recorded seeing a stone inscribed with “RICE ANNO 1563” along with another bearing the poetic phrase “AT THE ROSE IS THE BEST WINE” carved beneath two roses. Though this particular stone has since disappeared, a second datestone dated 1586 survives, now set into the wall of the house immediately west of the corner site at second floor level. The stone’s rough upper edge suggests it was moved here from its original location, perhaps salvaged when the castle was demolished.

Archaeological surveys from the 1980s attempted to piece together the castle’s history, noting that while the corner building itself is modern, these relocated stones hint at the substantial structure that once stood here. Whether Peter Rice’s castle served as a merchant’s fortified house or a more military installation remains unclear, but the romantic inscription about wine and roses suggests it may have been as much a place of hospitality as defence; a reminder that even in Tudor Ireland, castle builders appreciated the finer things in life.