Monkstown castle was built in the 13th or 14th century by Cistercian monks of St Mary's Abbey in Dublin, to administer and protect the land they owned in this area. It remained Cistercian property until St Mary's was dissolved in 1539 by order of Henry VIII who wanted to control the wealth of the monasteries. It then passed, as part of the Abbey's extensive possessions, to John Travers, master royal ordinance.
Nothing from the 13th or 14th centuries survives today. The main tower probably dates the later 15th century, but its western part is a later addition.
It is four storeys high with a sentry box along the stairs, and has high, distinctive Irish , battlements with projections through which stones could be dropped on unwelcome visitors. There are also some photos of the Monkstown Church below.
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