Bawn

The National Monuments Service's description

In rolling grassland, with rock outcrop in the immediate vicinity. A roughly trapezoidal-shaped bawn, with the tower house (KK010-056001-) projecting outward from the S side. The bawn wall (T 1.38m) runs eastward from the N end of the E face of the tower house, and westward from the N end of the W face. There are two substantial gateways in the bawn, one in the N wall and one in the S. The N wall (L c. 78m NE-SW) is staggered in sections (L c. 78m ENE-WSW). The slightly pointed round-headed gateway is roughly mid-way along the N wall, where the wall kinks NE-SW. This gateway does not appear to be contemporary with the present bawn arrangement, as the gateway projects externally and the hanging-eyes indicate that the gate was closed from the outside (Salter 2004, 68). There is a circular turret (int. diam. 4.35m; wall T 1.07m; wall H 3.8m) in the NE angle with a doorway facing SW (H 1.9m; Wth 0.92m) and two windows, all reconstructed. At some stage the turret was converted into a dovecote and the corbelled conical roof possibly dates to this phase. A four-centred arched doorway in the bawn W of the dovecote is a later insertion. At the NW angle of the bawn there are stairs to the wall-walk. The S wall (H 3m; L 23.6m NE-SW) also has stairs to the wall-walk, 6.8m from the SW angle. The main entrance, contemporary with the tower house, is a round-headed gateway, with cut limestone surrounds, in the S wall of the bawn, c. 30 E of the tower house. Internally this gateway rises to form a pointed vault, which probably supported a chamber over the gateway, though it no longer survives. In the W wall (L 39.7m NW-SE) there is an 18th/19th-century gateway (H 2.3m; Wth 1.6m) 3m from the SW angle. The bawn is well defended by plain and crosslet loops with well-cut limestone surrounds. The bases of these loops are enlarged to form stirrup-loops, suitable for guns. These date to the 16th century and, if not original, indicate modifications to the defences during this period.

See attached photographs:
KK010-056007-_01 SE angle and S face - E of tower house
KK010-056007-_02 Entrance in S wall - exterior
KK010-056007-_03 kink in S wall of bawn W of entrance
KK010-056007-_04 S wall of bawn with loop E of tower house

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 14 May 2019

References

Salter, M. 2004 The castles of Leinster. Worcestershire. Folly Publications.