What remains today are the collapsed stone walls of what was once a formidable stronghold, possibly dating back to the early medieval period. The castle’s most striking defensive feature is a rock-cut moat that wraps around its western base, complete with a four-metre-wide causeway entrance on the west-southwest side that would have controlled access to the fortress above.

By the mid-17th century, the castle had already fallen into disrepair. The Civil Survey of 1654-6 recorded it as a “ruinous castle with the priviledge of a court leete and courte”, indicating it still retained some legal authority despite its physical decline. The property belonged to Donogh O’Brien in 1640, one of many Irish landowners whose fortunes would soon be swept away by the Cromwellian conquest. When the Ordnance Survey visited the site in the 19th century, they found the moat still holding water and could trace the wall foundations atop the rocky outcrop.

Today, visitors to Pallas More can explore these atmospheric ruins and imagine the castle in its prime; a defensive stronghold that used the natural landscape to its advantage. The combination of the elevated position, the carved moat, and the controlled entrance point speak to centuries of Irish castle-building expertise, where natural features were enhanced with human engineering to create nearly impregnable fortifications.