This rectangular defensive enclosure, measuring roughly 33 metres north to south and 23 metres east to west, was constructed from uncoursed limestone rubble; typical of the building techniques employed in medieval and early modern Irish fortifications. The northern and western walls remain remarkably intact, rising to their original four-metre height and still crowned with parapets featuring narrow gun loops that once allowed defenders to fire upon approaching threats whilst remaining protected.

The bawn’s history is intriguingly complex, with evidence suggesting multiple phases of construction and modification over the centuries. A tower house and the gable end of a late 16th or 17th century house were partially built onto the northern wall, with convenient steps constructed into the inner face of the bawn wall just west of the tower. Archaeological excavations carried out in 1994 revealed that whilst the tower house was simply built onto the existing bawn wall, the relationship between the later house and the fortification was more considered; the eastern end of the house’s north gable and the northern end of the bawn’s eastern wall appear to have been built with respect for each other’s positioning, suggesting the bawn may have been partially demolished and rebuilt before the house’s construction.

The 1994 dig, conducted in advance of modern building work, uncovered fascinating glimpses into daily life at the site despite much disturbed stratigraphy. Archaeologists found the foundations of the south gable wall of the late 16th or 17th century house, along with shells, bones, and a fragment of a 15th century window; tangible connections to the people who once lived and worked within these defensive walls. Today, whilst the eastern and southern walls survive only as intermittent sections and rubble mounds, and the historic gable has been incorporated into a modern house, the site remains an evocative reminder of Ireland’s turbulent past when even rural dwellings required substantial fortification.