While a castle was built on the site by Tadgh MacTurlough MacCon O'Connor from stone drawn from the quarry of Trá Leachain some time during the 1300s, the current structure is likely to date to the 16th century. It was granted to Sir Turlough O'brien of Ennistymon  (a neighboring town of Doolin) in 1582. In 1588, during the retreat of the spanish armarda from its failed attempt to invade England, 170 survivors of a Spanish shipwreck were caught by the high sheriff of County Clare, Boetius MacClancy, and were hanged at Doonagore Castle and buried in a barrow near of Doolin called Cnocán an Crochaire.

Doonagore Castle was repaired in the early 1800s, but by the middle of that century had again deteriorated in the care of the Nagle family. It was restored by architect Rex MacGovern of Lardner & Partners again in the 1970s for a private purchaser, an American named O'Gorman whose family still owns it.

A rare round tower house originally dating from the Medieval period and restored in the 1970's.