Bawn

The National Monuments Service's description

Castle (LI022-053001-) and bawn located in the townland of Williamstown on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map, however shown standing in the townland of Ballynagarde on the revised Cassini OSi 6-inch map. Westropp (1906-7, 90) recorded the following details about Williamstown or Ballywillin Castle and bawn; 'Perhaps Ballywillin C[astle], 1583 (Des. R., 37). 1625 Theo, or Tibbott Bourke, Williamstown C[astle]. except the "Geist Hall" (Inq. Chan., Car. I., 11). 1636 John, his son, held a room in it, with the bawn and a stone house in the north part of the C[astle]. (lb., Car. IL, 180). 1655 Lord Brittas, Dr. T. Arthur, and others claimed the C[astle]. and bawen (C.S., xxi., p. 35). 1666 Granted to Col. Clayton and W. Matthews, except the middle story, confirmed to Dr. Arthur's daughters (Act Sett.). Fabric - Fitzgerald describes it as a tower without outworks (I,p. 297). It was repaired and modernised by the Crokers, so O'Donovan failed to find it in 1840 (O.S.L. 8, pp. 151, 366)'.
The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that Theobald Lord Baron of Brittas, an Irish Papist, was the owner of Williamstown which contained 'a Castle and a Bawen' (Simington 1938, 81).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 4 December 2020

References

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

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.