Local tradition places the original castle on the north bank of the river, just east of the bridge and not far from the ruins of the Knights’ Hospital preceptory. This preceptory was founded in 1215 by Geoffrey de Marisco, and the castle likely served as a residence after the religious house was dissolved. By the mid-17th century, the Civil Survey records that Thomas Browne and his mother Lady Barbara Browne held the lands of Hospital, which boasted a castle, sixty houses, a mill seat, two annual fairs, a weekly market, and both Court Leet and Baron privileges.

The medieval castle appears to have vanished entirely by the early 20th century, with historians like Westropp noting in 1906 that no trace remained. What stands today as Kenmare Castle is actually a Georgian house dating from around 1780; a five-bay single-storey residence that has grown over the centuries with various additions including a three-storey block, a bow window, and multiple extensions. The Down Survey map from the 1650s offers our best glimpse of what the original castle might have looked like, depicting it as a fortified two-storey gabled house with prominent chimney stacks rising above the roofline.

The site’s ownership changed hands several times throughout history, with Queen Elizabeth I granting it to William Apsley in 1578, though local lore suggests it was Sir Valentine Browne who actually built a castle here after receiving a royal grant. Despite extensive historical documentation about the property’s various owners and the privileges attached to the estate, the exact location and fate of the medieval castle remains tantalisingly uncertain, adding another layer to Ireland’s rich tapestry of lost castles and forgotten fortifications.