This 15th or 16th century tower house was once home to the O’Brien clan, one of Ireland’s most influential Gaelic families who dominated much of Munster for centuries. Like many Irish tower houses of its era, the castle was built as both a defensive stronghold and a symbol of the family’s status, its thick stone walls designed to withstand raids whilst providing comfortable accommodation for the local lords.

The castle’s strategic position offered commanding views across the surrounding countryside, allowing its inhabitants to monitor their lands and spot approaching visitors or threats well in advance. During its heyday, the tower would have stood at least three or four storeys high, with the ground floor typically used for storage, the first floor containing the main hall for entertaining, and the upper floors reserved for private chambers. Arrow slits and murder holes would have provided defensive advantages, whilst the battlements at the top allowed defenders to rain down projectiles on any unwelcome guests below.

Today, only partial ruins remain of what was once a formidable fortress. The castle fell into disrepair following the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 1650s, when many such Gaelic strongholds were deliberately destroyed or abandoned. Ivy now cloaks much of the surviving stonework, and the site sits quietly in the Clare countryside; a weathered monument to a turbulent period when local chieftains ruled their territories from these imposing stone towers. Visitors can still trace the outline of the original structure and imagine the bustling household that once filled these now silent walls.