Bawn

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a slight natural rise. In the mid-eighteenth century it became incorporated in 'Beechwood House', forming a T-projection at the rear. Described in the Civil Survey (1654-6) as an 'old castle and bawne the walls onely standing a garden plott and one thatcht house' (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 293). Daniell Hogan is listed as proprietor in 1640 (ibid.). A roughly coursed limestone rectangular tower house (TN015-073001) with good quoins and base-batter. Three storeys survive; higher levels were knocked when the adjoining house was built in 1741 (Craig 1972, 37). The main entrance in the S face has been broken out and provides access from the main house to the tower house. Approximately 20m N of the N face of the tower house are the remains of a bawn wall (max. H 0.7m). The foundations of this wall (T c. 1m) appear to continue E. Stored in the ground-floor of the tower house are a number of architectural fragments which presumably belong to the tower house itself. These include two semi-elliptical window heads, one decorated with incised lines, the other bears a date of 1594, carved in false relief, with the initials OH, one letter on either side of the date.

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008