While the castle itself has long since vanished, archaeological investigations in 2003 revealed that a section of its bawn wall still stands behind what was once Mr Dancer’s house. This defensive wall, likely constructed in 1622 when the castle’s owner Donagh Mac Guilfoyle set about fortifying his residence, now serves as an unusual boundary marker for modern development, having been carefully fenced off and preserved as part of the area’s protected heritage.

The site, locally known as Bawnmore according to historical sources from the 1870s and 1930s, has yielded intriguing glimpses into its past through archaeological monitoring carried out by Ellen O’Carroll and Nicola Rohan in 2004. During excavation work for new housing, they uncovered a mysterious circular feature measuring 1.9 metres in diameter, positioned just over five metres from the surviving bawn wall. This enigmatic depression, filled with sandy gravel and occasional mortared fragments, could be anything from an old well to a garden feature or storage pit; its exact purpose remains tantalisingly unclear, preserved in situ beneath the modern streetscape.

Today, visitors to Shinrone might walk past this unremarkable stretch of Main Street without realising they’re treading near the footprint of a once-substantial fortification. The castle site, catalogued as OF042-025 in archaeological records, represents a common story across Ireland where urban development has gradually absorbed and obscured medieval and early modern structures. Yet the survival of even this fragment of bawn wall, carefully monitored and protected during recent construction work, ensures that Shinrone’s castellated past maintains a physical presence in the 21st century, quietly enduring behind the facades of contemporary Irish town life.