The site now presents as a circular, flat-topped mound measuring roughly 19 metres north to south and 18 metres east to west at its base, rising to a height of about 3.4 metres. Atop this mound, visitors can trace the foundations of a small rectangular building near the north end, its grassed-over stone walls still visible at about 60 to 80 centimetres wide, along with fragments of rubble poking through the sod cover on the eastern side.

The castle’s history reflects the turbulent politics of late medieval and early modern Ireland. Originally built by the O’Loughlins, it changed hands in 1590 when it was conveyed to John Lynch, an Alderman of Galway. However, after some dispute, it returned to O’Loughlin possession by 1601. The Neylons had taken ownership by 1617, and the castle became particularly notable under the stewardship of Máire Rua, who managed to retain the property throughout the upheavals of the mid-seventeenth century; a remarkable feat given the period’s political instability.

Historical records show the castle appearing on Ordnance Survey maps from 1842 and 1915, where it’s marked as ‘Turlough castle (in ruins)’, suggesting it had already fallen into disrepair by the nineteenth century. The last recorded mention of the castle dates to 1669, after which it likely fell out of use entirely. Today, while the good pastureland to the east remains productive, the castle itself stands as a subtle reminder of the complex web of clan politics and property disputes that characterised this region of Ireland for centuries.