Bawn

The National Monuments Service's description

Westropp (1906-07, 159-60) recorded the following details about Shanpallas Castle and bawn; 'A lofty tower [LI012-001001-] on a rock, 20 feet [6m] high. Tradition connects it with the Earls of Desmond. The south wall, and about half of the sides, have fallen; the rest is fairly perfect, 16½ feet [5m] by 14 feet [4.2m] inside; the walls 6 feet [1.8m] thick and 60 feet [18m] high. It has five stories; the two lowest are under a vault. Near it is a "Court," the walls 30 feet [9m] high and 5½ feet [1.7m] thick. Near the main tower is a round turret, with spiral stairs, leading to a sallyport near a pool. The outer wall encloses a bawn about 60 yards [55m] square (O.S.L., 8, p. 7)'. Castle and bawn described by Salter (2004, 95) as follows; 'On a rock beside a stream is the northern half of an 18m high tower measuring about 10.5m by 9m. The second of the five storeys was vaulted. The round turret with a staircase nearby is a relic of a bawn 18m square, now partly filled with farmbuildings. This castle of the earls of Desmond was captured by Sir Henry Waller for Cromwell in 1650'.
Archaeological test excavations by Rory Sherlock under lincence No. 05E0829 was summarised as follows; 'Three parallel test-trenches, each 33m long, were excavated on the footprint of a proposed slatted shed. The site of the proposed development lies c. 25m from the outer bawn wall of Shanpallas Castle. No finds or features of archaeological interest were discovered during the testing' (www.excavations.ie).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 19 November 2020

References

Westropp, T.J. 1906-7 The ancient castles of the county of Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 26, 54-264.

Salter, M. 2004 The castles of North Munster. Worcestershire. Folly Publications.