The demesne surrounding it is one of the more atmospheric landscapes in Connacht, shaped over centuries by the interaction of deliberate planting, natural woodland, and the broad expanse of the lough itself.

The castle and its grounds have a layered ownership history typical of the Anglo-Irish ascendancy, passing through several notable hands before reaching its present state. The Gothic Revival style, popular among Irish landowners from the late eighteenth century onwards, favoured pointed arches, battlements, and a general air of romantic medievalism that had little to do with actual medieval building practice and everything to do with fashionable aesthetics imported from England. Demesnes of this kind were carefully managed landscapes, with gate lodges, walled gardens, and carriage drives laid out to frame views and project a particular image of landed authority.