Bawn

The National Monuments Service's description

The castle, constructed of limestone rubble roughly coursed, consists of a square bawn (dims. 30m; wall T 2.2m) defended on the river side with a circular tower at the SE and SW angles, though only the foundations of the SE tower survive. The internal buildings including a NE tower, hall and SE tower (KK043-034001-) are located along the N wall of the bawn. The E bawn wall survives to a height of 3.8m. There is a further circular tower to the W, connected to the SW angle tower by a thin wall, which indicates that there was probably an outer bawn to the W. The bawn has a base-batter which is more pronounced along the S river side (H 3m; Wth c. 0.4m) than on the N and E sides (H 2m; Wth 0.3m), though it becomes more pronounced adjacent to the entrance in the E wall. The N and E bawn wall and the S wall of the NE angle tower were strengthened by a series of relieving arches (H 0.2-0.4m in E wall to 1.2m in N wall; Wth 0.87-2.13m, with an average Wth 1.33m) at the base of the wall, some quite pointed. Similar relieving arches were employed at the bawn of Ormond Castle. The buildings occupied the N wall of the bawn, with a rectangular tower house in the NE angle, a building with a circular tower at the NW angle and a hall between the two.
The SE angle tower of the bawn is almost complete gone, with only portion of the curving wall of the ground-floor surviving. It is depicted on Hooper’s 1791 sketch (Grose 1791, vol. 2, pl. 31), as a four-storey tower with a cross-loop at ground-floor level and single-light windows at each level in the SE, two at third-floor level. A chimney rises from above the parapet on the NW face. Within the S wall of the SE angle of the bawn there is a mural passage, lit by a loop in the S wall, to a double garderobe which suggests that, though now gone, there was an upper level with access to the garderobe chute.
The three-storey circular tower at the SW angle of the inner bawn is well preserved. It is accessed via a doorway (Wth 0.63m) at the S end of the W wall of the bawn. The ground floor is lit in the S, SW and SE faces by very fine, large cross-loops with stirrup bases, set into straight-sided depressed embrasures with plank-centring. At first-floor level there are windows in similar embrasures facing SSE and SW (blocked) and a fireplace in the E face. Second-floor level also has large embrasures, that in the S face has a depressed head with wicker centring, window replaced with brick and there is a wall cupboard in its W jamb. At the SW angle there is an ogee-headed single light window within a rectangular embrasure and facing W a loop in a rectangular angled embrasure. There is another light facing E. The narrow passage (L 4m), with wicker-centring, leading in from the bawn runs through the thickness of the wall (Wth 1m). It enters the tower at first-floor level, so must have been wooden ladder to drop down to ground floor level leading off passage to E is narrow angled mural passage lit by rectangular opes at E and W ends of S wall, and wicker roof with garderobe at E end. Leading off to W is a spiral staircase which accesses the second floor (Wth 0.9m). At third-floor level a doorway gives access to a mural passage in the S bawn wall leading to a small mural garderobe chamber. On Hooper’s sketch of 1791 this tower is shown with a gabled roof, perhaps orientated NW-SE, with a chimney at each apex. Another gabled roof is visible immediately N or NE of it, perhaps over the mural chamber.
Towards the W end of the S wall of the bawn, 5.48m from the SW angle, a rectangular doorway leads into small mural passage with wicker-centring and a wall cupboard in the N wall.
Mid-way along the W wall of the bawn there is a length of masonry (L 3.3m; T c. 1.5m) running internally c. 5m from, and at right angles to, the bawn. It is likely that this was part of the S wall of the building in the NW angle. A later wall, running from the inner face of the bawn wall and turning to connect with this length of masonry, has subsequently been added to create a small chamber, probably in the 18th or 19th century. The W bawn wall N of this has been replaced by a later wall (L 11.7m), as has the W end of the N wall of the bawn.
The circular tower on the SW angle of the outer bawn is not accessible internally. It has a substantial base-batter and is built on top of bedrock. Much of the E and W face are ivy covered and no features are visible. A stone wall continues westward from the W face for at least 2m.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 20 April 2018

References

Grose, F. 1791 The antiquities of Ireland, 2 vols. London. S. Hooper.