This rectangular stone enclosure, measuring roughly 18 metres east to west and nearly 12 metres north to south, sits directly south of the imposing Castlesampson tower house. The bawn’s boundaries are still visible today, marked by spreads of stone that once formed the defensive walls of this fortified courtyard.

Bawns were essential features of Irish tower houses from the 15th to 17th centuries, serving as walled enclosures where livestock could be secured and defended during raids. The Castlesampson example would have provided a vital buffer zone between the tower house and potential attackers, whilst also functioning as a practical space for daily agricultural activities. These fortified farmyards were particularly common in areas prone to cattle raids and local conflicts, reflecting the unsettled nature of medieval and early modern Irish society.

Today, visitors to the site can trace the footprint of this defensive structure through the scattered stones that mark its perimeter. Though time has reduced the bawn to foundation level, its relationship with the adjacent tower house remains clear, illustrating how these two defensive elements worked together to create a fortified homestead capable of withstanding the dangers of its era.