Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Bawn
Dysert, County Limerick, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Dysert
- County
- Limerick
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Outlined
- Latest-edition OS map
- Outlined
- Coordinates
- 52.60178, -9.05462
- SMR number
- LI010-077001-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Westropp (1906-7) recorded the following details about Dysert also known as Díseart Muirdeabhair; ' A tower [LI010-077----] 19 feet [5.8m] by 13 feet [4m], inside; walls, 4½ feet [1.4m] thick. It is four stories high, with a barrel stair of sixty-eight steps north-west beside the door, the latter protected by a "murder-hole". The lower and third story are vaulted, with a closet in the wall on the second floor. The details are of the later fifteenth century. There are slight traces of a side wing and bawn [LI010-077001-], all much injured (O.S.L., 8, p. 17).
The Ordnance Survey Letters for the parish of Robertstown describes the castle remains as, 'on level ground, measures nineteen feet [5.8m] by thirteen feet [4m] inside. It has four stories, the arches of two of which still remains. The walls are about fifty feet [15m] high and four and a half feet [1.4m] in thickness'.
No surface remains visible of bawn wall mentioned in the Ordnance Survey Letters. A river to SE of tower house may have been flanked by a bawn as there is a lot of stone lying on the ground. A low scarp (approx. L 35m) is visible from SE-S of the castle which may mark the outline of the levelled bawn wall. The 1840 ed. OS 6-inch map shows the castle standing in the centre of a sub-rectangular shaped field (approx. dims. 80m N-S x 60m E-W) which may represent the outline of the castle bawn. The fields around the castle have been levelled.
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 15 May 2020
See attached ASI aerial photographs ASIAP – taken on 04/03/2006.
References
Westropp, T.J. 1906-7 The ancient castles of the county of Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 26, 54-264.
OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.
ASIAP - Archaeological Survey of Ireland Aerial Photographs (c. 1996 - c. 2010).
Nearby in the register
- Castle - tower houseunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - cashelunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.