Carrig Castle, Doughkill, Co. Tipperary

This small square structure, measuring just 24 feet on each side, was built from carefully hammer-dressed limestone blocks. Its walls, an impressive four feet thick, rose to a height of 14 feet; a testament to the defensive priorities of its medieval builders. The most distinctive feature was a small round tower attached to the southeast corner, complete with a conical cap, which reached 17 feet in height and had an interior diameter of just over six feet.

The castle's compact dimensions suggest it served as a tower house, a type of fortified residence common across Ireland from the 15th to 17th centuries. These structures provided local landowners with both a defensible home and a symbol of their authority over the surrounding countryside. The OS Letters, historical surveys conducted in the 1830s, captured detailed measurements of the castle when it still stood largely intact, preserving valuable information about this once prevalent architectural form.

Unfortunately, Carrig Castle met its end not through siege or abandonment, but through modern development. In 1973, the entire structure was demolished to make way for a road widening scheme, erasing centuries of local history in the process. Today, no visible remains can be found at ground level; only the historical records and archaeological surveys preserve the memory of this small but significant piece of Tipperary's medieval heritage. The site serves as a reminder of how easily tangible links to our past can be lost to the demands of modern infrastructure.