Bawn, Killeedy North, Co. Limerick
In a pasture overlooking a stream in Killeedy North, County Limerick, visitors can find the intriguing remains of what appears to be a medieval defensive structure.
Bawn, Killeedy North, Co. Limerick
This raised, rectangular mound measures approximately 20 metres northwest to southeast and 13 metres northeast to southwest, and is surrounded by an earthen bank that stands about 2 metres high with a width of 2.5 metres. The bank runs from the west, around the north, and continues to the east, with fallen masonry visible on the western side. At the centre of this hollow interior stand the ruins of Killeedy Castle, whilst a gap in the bank on the east-northeast side, measuring 2.6 metres wide, may have been caused by livestock erosion over the years.
This enigmatic earthwork is likely the remains of a collapsed earth and stone bawn, a type of fortified enclosure that would have provided additional defence for Killeedy Castle during medieval times. The structure was first documented on the 1897 Ordnance Survey map, which depicted it as a raised rectangular area defined by a fosse, or defensive ditch. When the Archaeological Survey of Ireland visited the site in 1997, they noted the distinctive raised mound formation and its enclosing bank, features that remain visible today on aerial imagery from Google Earth and Digital Globe.
The site forms part of a larger medieval complex in the area, with the ruins of Killeedy Church, its associated graveyard, and St Ida’s Well located just 120 metres to the south-southeast. This concentration of medieval structures suggests Killeedy was once an important ecclesiastical and defensive centre in County Limerick. Though now overgrown and weathered by centuries of exposure, the outline of the bawn continues to be visible from above, offering a fascinating glimpse into Ireland’s fortified past.