Bawn, Siginshaggard, Co. Wexford
Standing on a gentle west-facing slope in Siginshaggard, County Wexford, this tower house represents a fascinating piece of Irish medieval architecture.
Bawn, Siginshaggard, Co. Wexford
The tower itself sits at the eastern corner of what was once a fortified compound, known as a bawn. This square enclosure, measuring approximately 28 metres on each side, would have provided protection for both the tower’s inhabitants and their livestock during times of conflict.
The bawn’s boundaries can still be traced today through the grass-covered landscape. A slight earthen bank marks where defensive walls once stood, whilst outside this runs a fosse, or defensive ditch, roughly 9 metres wide. These features were typical of Irish tower houses built between the 15th and 17th centuries, when local lords needed fortified residences that could withstand raids whilst serving as symbols of their authority.
Though time has softened its military edges, the site remains an evocative reminder of Ireland’s turbulent medieval past. The combination of tower house and bawn was once common across the Irish countryside, particularly in areas like County Wexford where Anglo-Norman influence met Gaelic tradition. Today, these ruins offer visitors a chance to walk through centuries of history, imagining the daily life that once animated these now peaceful fields.





