Bawn

The National Monuments Service's description

Carrigarreely Castle (LI014-033----) described in 1840 as follows; 'This castle is placed on a limestone rock, about 2 chains (40m) in diameter and 20 feet (6.1m) high. It retains the appearance of a strong building, and is about 60 feet (18.3m) high and 24 feet (7.3m) wide, being square' (OSNB Caherconlish Parish, 305). The Ordnance Survey Letters recorded that the 'walls are perfect. It measures nineteen feet eight inches by fourteen and a half feet in the clear and has five stories; the fourth floor is arched underneath. The height of the structure is about seventy feet and the thickness of the walls about six and a half feet' (OSL Caherconlish Parish, 117-8). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that the Lord of Brittas was the owner of 'a Castle [LI014-033---), and a bawen' (Simington 1938, 64). The precise location of the bawn around the castle of Carrigarreely has not been identified.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 30 November 2020

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1929 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Limerick collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1841. Bray

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1938 The civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. IV: county of Limerick, with a section of Clanmaurice barony Co. Kerry. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

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.

OSNB - Ordnance Survey Name Books. Pro-forma books arranged by Civil Parish for recording townland and other name-forms and compiled in the course of the OS 6-inch survey 1824-1841. The name books also include minor names and incidental references to antiquities. National Archives of Ireland.