This fortification, which would have commanded views across the surrounding countryside, stood for over three centuries before meeting an unceremonious end around 1830. Rather than falling to siege or abandonment, the castle was systematically dismantled, its stones repurposed to construct a flour mill that better suited the economic needs of 19th-century Ireland.

The McCarthy clan, one of the most powerful Gaelic families in Munster, built numerous castles throughout Cork during the medieval period. This particular stronghold would have served as both a defensive structure and a symbol of their authority in the region. The decision to demolish such a historic building for construction materials reflects the practical concerns of the 1830s, when Ireland’s rural economy was shifting towards commercial agriculture and food processing. The flour mill that replaced it, catalogued as CO107-037 in archaeological records, represented this new industrial age.

Today, visitors to the site will find only an empty field where the castle once stood, with no surface features remaining to mark its location. The transformation from medieval fortress to industrial mill, and finally to pastoral landscape, tells a broader story about Ireland’s changing priorities through the centuries. Local historian Healy’s research confirms the demolition date, whilst O’Donoghue’s earlier work helps piece together the castle’s original purpose and significance to the McCarthy dynasty.