Though no visible traces remain above ground today, this site has captured the attention of historians and archaeologists for over a century and a half. The location appears on every edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch maps marked simply as ‘site of’, but the 1842 edition reveals something more intriguing; it shows three walls of a rectangular structure measuring approximately 20 metres east to west and 10 metres north to south.

The castle was likely built by the Gould family, who held considerable influence in this part of Cork during the medieval period. According to local historian Healy’s 1988 research, the Goulds were responsible for several defensive structures throughout the region, though the exact date of this particular castle’s construction remains uncertain. The rectangular footprint suggested by the 1842 map indicates it may have been a tower house or small fortified dwelling, typical of the kind built by Anglo-Norman families in Ireland between the 14th and 17th centuries.

Today, visitors to the site will find only an unremarkable field, but the location serves as a reminder of Cork’s layered history. The fact that the structure was already reduced to foundations by 1842 suggests it may have been abandoned or destroyed during the turbulent 17th century, when many such castles fell victim to the Cromwellian conquest or later conflicts. The site was officially recorded in the Archaeological Inventory of County Cork in 1994, ensuring its place in Ireland’s protected heritage, even if the stones themselves have long since disappeared into the landscape.