Rising just 1.6 metres high and measuring roughly 6.5 metres in length by 7 metres in width, this unassuming heap of collapsed rubble is all that remains of what was once a defensive structure. The mound itself consists of fallen stonework, with traces of an east-west embankment still visible in the surrounding pasture, hinting at the castle’s former extent.

The castle at Ashtown, as it was known, appears in historical records from the Civil Survey of 1654-6, a comprehensive land assessment carried out during the Cromwellian period in Ireland. This survey, which documented property ownership and land use across the country, provides one of the few written references to the castle’s existence. The mention in these documents suggests the structure was still recognisable as a castle in the mid-17th century, though it may have already been in decline by that time.

Today, visitors to this quiet spot beside the Tolka will find little to suggest the site’s medieval past beyond the rubble mound and earthwork traces. The castle’s original form, purpose, and the circumstances of its destruction remain largely unknown, making it one of many forgotten fortifications that once dotted the Irish landscape. What survives serves as a subtle reminder of the layers of history that lie beneath Ireland’s pastoral countryside, where centuries-old ruins blend almost imperceptibly into the modern agricultural landscape.