Bawn

The National Monuments Service's description

The church of the Augustinian friars (WX045-012003-) is at the S side of a rectangular enclosure or bawn (dims. 67m N-S; 60m E-W) represented by a tower at the NW corner and adjacent fragments of the W (L 38.5m) and N (L 10.3m) walls. A resistivity survey shows a short wall running S from the E-W wall, perhaps a buttress, but the continuation of the bawn wall further E cannot be confirmed (Byrne 1994-5, 71-2). There is a postern doorway (Wth 0.65m; H 1.93m) in the W wall immediately S of the tower, and a second doorway (Wth 0.88m; H 2.15m) further S. Portions of this wall fell after the severe winter of 2010-11, and a longer portion fell in 2012.

The tower (ext. dims. 4.35m N-S; 4.1m E-W) is open-backed (int. dims 2.34m E-W; 2.2m N-S) to the E, and has granite quoins. It is featureless to the top of the E-W barrel-vault over a first floor, which is supported on corbels in the N and S walls. Access to the second floor over the vault is through a lintelled doorway (Wth 0.84m; H 2.1m) from the bawn wall-walk on the wall to the S. A newel stairs at the SW angle of the tower gives access to the third and fourth floors, each with lights in the W, N and E walls, and to the destroyed wall-walk with a look-out platform over the stairs housing at the SW angle. The third floor was supported on corbels in the E and W walls, while at the fourth floor the joists were inserted directly into the N and S walls. The site of St Nicholas' Well (WX045-012006-), where the pattern was held on 6th December (O'Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 148) lies within the bawn.
The principal entry to the bawn was by a gatehouse (ext. dims. 4.88m E-W; 4.4m N-S) on the S side attached to the W end of the church nave. A pointed arch (Wth 1.73m; H 2.06m) with hinges for a two-leaf gate and a slot in the roof for a portcullis leads to a barrel-vaulted entrance passage (Wth 2.1 m; L 4.05m). A destroyed doorway (Wth 1.16m) on the N side and a round-headed doorway (Wth 0.75m) on the W side of the gatehouse lead to a newel stairs at the SW angle that rises to the first floor (int. dims. 4.44m E-W; 2.82m N-S). This room commands the portcullis and has a light in each wall except the E, which is the W wall of the S aisle of the church. The destroyed newel stairs continued to the second floor which was supported on corbels in the N and S walls and has a single light in each wall except the E. A possible doorway on the E wall at the second floor allowed access to the wall-walk of the S aisle of the church.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 22 July, 2013

References

Byrne, M. E. 1994-5. The results of a resistivity survey undertaken at Clonmines, Co. Wexford. Journal of the Wexford Historical Society, 15, 67-73.