The site has quite a pedigree; records show it was home to Sean na Maighe O’Kelly back in the 16th century. Today, visitors won’t find dramatic stone walls or towering keeps, but rather something more subtle: a large, slightly raised circular platform measuring roughly 102 metres north to south and 88 metres east to west. A modern road has cut through both the northern and southern edges of this earthwork, altering its original form.

The castle itself has vanished completely from the landscape, leaving only this ghostly footprint behind. Archaeological surveys once noted a series of mounds and hollows across the site, though these features have since become indistinguishable from the surrounding terrain. One archaeologist, Rynne, observed that the castle appeared to have been positioned off-centre within the earthwork, suggesting the entire complex resembled a bailey with what might have been a motte or castle remains at its heart.

This interpretation hints at a defensive structure typical of Anglo-Norman settlements in Ireland, where a raised mound (motte) would have supported a wooden or stone tower, whilst the surrounding enclosed area (bailey) provided space for additional buildings and activities. Though the physical structures have long since disappeared, the earthwork continues to mark this historically significant spot in the Galway countryside, a reminder of the O’Kelly family’s former stronghold.