Bawn

The National Monuments Service's description

On a slight natural rise of ground surrounded by low-lying countryside which is poorly drained in places. Nearby monuments include, ringfort (WM024-049001-) and field system (WM024-049002-) immediately to SW, motte and bailey castle (WM024-053----) 240m to ESE, Killare church (WM024-057----) and graveyard (WM024-057002-) 440m to SE, St. Bridget’s holy well (WM024-054002-) and St. Bridget’s Church (WM024-054001-) 150m to S. Post medieval corn mill 300m to ENE and mill pond 240m to SSW.
Present remains consist of a castle site (WM024-049003-) depicted on the 1656-59 Down Survey map of Killare parish (NLI MS 723-4). The castle ruins are standing in the NW quadrant of a complex of low grass covered earthworks which represent the remains of a possible road (WM024-049004-) represented by a linear earthwork running NW-SE which runs past the castle site immediately to the SW, a group of hut sites are located to the W of the castle site along with the wall footings of a long rectangular building (WM024-049004-) aligned NE-SW. The castle appears to be standing inside a possible bawn area (WM024-049005-) defined by a poorly preserved earth and stone bank which appears to form a roughly rectnagular-shaped enclosure around the levelled castle site. Other earthworks in this field to the SW represent the remains of a field system (WM024-049002-) associated with a ringfort (WM024-049001-). A disused quarry is located immediately E of the castle site and some of these earthworks in close proximity to the castle may be related to the quarry. To the N of the castle site there are the low grass-covered wall footings of a sub-rectangular enclosure which may be the remains of a levelled bawn. The wall footings of three hut sites can be seen inside this sub-rectangular enclosure. To the S of the mound are a complex group of short and long stretches of bank some of which suggest the outlines of houses or small enclosures but in general these remains are so fragmented that interpretation of these earthworks is difficult. It is possible that these earthworks concentrated around the castle site may represent the remains of a clustered settlement and road. Bing Maps aerial photograph taken November 2011 shows clearly the ringfort with associated field system and castle site with associated earthworks to N and NE of ringfort.

See attached Bing Maps aerial photograph showing ringfort, field system, castle site and possible bawn with associated earthworks to N and NE of ringfort.

See attached plan of castle (WM029-049003-), poassible bawn, ringfort (WM024-049001-) , field system (WM024-049001-) surveyed by the National Monuments Service in 1985.

Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 23 July 2014

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 4/1986).

References

NLI, MS 723-4 - National Library of Ireland, The parish maps of the Down Survey for the County of Westmeath, attested by W. Petty, in 1659. Copied by Daniel O'Brien. A set of 67 maps with accompanying terriers in two volumes, 1786-7. Dublin.