This strategic stronghold commanded the narrow tidal channel that links Cuan Chuigéil and Cuan Chaisín, making it a valuable defensive position in medieval Galway. The surviving section of mortared wall, measuring 5.2 metres long, 1.25 metres wide, and 3 metres high, runs east to west; its inner face has been completely stripped of stone over the centuries, likely repurposed for local building projects.

Historical records place the castle in existence by 1574, when it belonged to someone known as ‘Ochaghy’. A decade later, in 1584, documents show it served as the residence of Morogh MacHugh, suggesting the fortress remained an important local power base throughout the late 16th century. The castle’s strategic importance likely stemmed from its ability to control maritime traffic through the narrow channel, a crucial advantage in an era when coastal raids and trade were central to regional power dynamics.

By the time the Ordnance Survey Letters were compiled in the 1820s, the castle had already fallen into ruin, its demolition complete save for the wall fragment that remains today. This timeline suggests the structure was abandoned sometime between the late 16th century and early 19th century, though the exact circumstances of its decline remain unclear. What stands now offers just a hint of the castle’s former substantial construction, a testament to the shifting fortunes of Galway’s coastal strongholds.