This Mac Carthy castle, built, according to tradition, between 1436 to 1450. Circular turret is later, probably added in late 16th to early 17th century to allow for flanking fireby defenders. Adjacent house built by Wallis family in 18th century but enlarged and castellated in mid 19th century, later a convent school, now in private ownership.
Drishane Castle is now at the S end of Drishane House. Built directly on a rock outcrop. It's a rectangular 5 storey tower with adjacent circular 2 storey tower. Structures were completely restored some time after 1879, and again repaired in more recent times, repairs include battlements atop both structures, all wooden door and window frames, stone flagged floors, wooden floors over main ground and 1st floor chambers of rectangular tower, and slate roofs.
The rectangular tower, with slightly rounded corners, entered at ground floor level through door near N end of E wall, door surround has been reset. Short lobby inside has door on W side, with pointed arch, giving access to main ground floor chamber, and similar door on S side, leading to mural stairs which rise to SE corner of tower, where they continue upwards as spiral, giving access to main 1st, 2nd and 4th floor chambers, and to two mural garderobe chambers in E wall at 1st 2nd and 3rd, 4th floor levels.
Ground floor chamber is lit by windows in centre of S wall and at W end of N wall; both have square set embrasures covered by segmental vaults. First floor chamber is entered via short L shaped lintelled passage from spiral stairs, chamber lit by roughly central windows in S, W and N walls. These have splayed and lintelled embrasures and single square headed lights. Main second floor chamber entered directly from spiral stairs, through door with pointed arch, in SE corner of room, lit by roughly central windows in S, W and N walls, similar to those on 1st floor but with single ogee headed lights. Third floor is attic under pointed wicker centered vault, lit by single window in W wall, embrasure similar to those of floor below but with single flat headed light, original entrance to this floor probably via manhole from floor below. Main fourth floor chamber entered, via short passage from top of spiral stairs, through door on S side of deep window embrasure in centre of E wall, embrasure is square set, covered by segmental vault, with double ogee headed light, similar window embrasure in centre of S wall. Spandrels of latter window light are decorated with simple geometric design, light covered by hood moulding, with stepped terminals, which is flanked by two carved human heads. There are also windows in centre of N and W walls, similar to those on 2nd floor. Opposite entrance door, in N side of E window embrasure, is door leading to spiralstairs in NE corner of tower, which rise to wall-walk level.
The circular tower is just 0.9m S of SE corner of rectangular tower, and projecting 1.3m beyond its E wall, now free standing but originally linked to tower by straight wall. Entered on NW side through repaired ground floor door, gun loop on E side of door, also gun loops facing S and W. Inserted window on SW side and inserted fireplace to SE. First floor has door ope to NNE, window ope to NE, traces of fireplace to E and splayed ope, possibly gun loop, to SE, with a modern roof overhead.