The present castle is not the first to have been built on the site. In 1215, an Anglo-Norman settler, FitzStephens, built a tower house with a bawn there, which itself replaced a much older fortification, probably a ringfort.
The present castle is not the first to have been built on the site. In 1215, an Anglo-Norman settler, FitzStephens, constructed a fortified dwelling with a surrounding enclosure, which itself replaced a much older defensive structure, probably a ringfort or circular stronghold.