Bawn, Laragh, Co. Westmeath
Sitting atop a modest north-south ridge in County Westmeath's pastoral landscape, the earthwork at Laragh offers commanding views across the surrounding countryside.
Bawn, Laragh, Co. Westmeath
This roughly circular fortification, measuring approximately 34 metres northeast to southwest and 28 metres northwest to southeast, has undergone considerable changes since its first detailed mapping in 1837. Originally depicted as a triangular earthwork with its pointed apex forming the southeastern corner, the monument has since been bisected by a public road cutting through its northern sector, whilst retaining enough of its original form to hint at its defensive past.
The earthwork’s most intact features include a low bank that curves from the west-southwest around to the west-northwest, with an outer scarp visible to the southeast and south that continues as a defensive ditch on the western side. A curious triangular bastion-like feature still projects from the southeastern corner, perhaps a remnant of the original triangular layout shown on early Ordnance Survey maps. Various disturbances mark the site: a field bank cuts close to the southwestern perimeter, a low stone mound rests near the eastern base, and an enclosure sits at the southern foot of the bank. These modifications suggest the earthwork may have originally served as a ringfort before being repurposed as either a bailey or bawn associated with nearby Laragh Castle.
The castle itself, visible to the northwest, consists of the remains of a McGeoghegan tower house, of which only a 12-metre-long southern wall survives to a height of two storeys. This 1.8-metre-thick wall stands adjacent to the public road, with a D-shaped bawn platform extending 20 metres south from it. The spatial relationship between the castle and earthwork, combined with the latter’s defensive features and strategic positioning, points to a complex site that evolved through several phases of occupation and fortification, adapting to changing military and social needs whilst maintaining its commanding presence over the Westmeath landscape.