The castle’s location, on land overlooking a turlough to the southwest, would have provided its inhabitants with views across this seasonal lake, a distinctive feature of the Irish karst landscape. Today, no visible traces remain of the structure that was already recorded as being in ruins when the Ordnance Survey mapped the area in 1838.

The castle’s decline appears to have been swift; by the time surveyors returned in 1933, the ruins had been completely demolished, prompting them to add the melancholic notation ‘Site of’ to their maps. What circumstances led to the castle’s abandonment and eventual destruction remain unclear, though its story likely mirrors that of many Irish tower houses and castles that fell into disrepair following centuries of political upheaval, changing land ownership, and shifting architectural preferences.

Castle Gar wasn’t entirely isolated in its day; Dunkellin Castle, another fortified structure, stands approximately 475 metres to the southeast. This proximity suggests the area held strategic importance, perhaps controlling local routes or agricultural lands. The archaeological record of this site was compiled by the Galway Archaeological Survey at University College Galway and uploaded to public records in September 2021, ensuring that even though the stones have vanished, the memory of Castle Gar endures in the historical record.