Bawn, Ballydonohoe, Co. Kerry
Just north of a ringfort in Ballydonohoe, County Kerry, lies what archaeologists believe to be the remnants of a bawn, a fortified enclosure typically associated with tower houses and defensive structures in medieval Ireland.
Bawn, Ballydonohoe, Co. Kerry
This sub-rectangular earthwork, designated as KE005-069 in archaeological records, sits immediately adjacent to its neighbouring ringfort (KE005-070), suggesting the two structures may have functioned together as part of a larger defensive complex.
The enclosure has been bisected by a later field bank running east to west, leaving visible traces of a raised platform measuring 17 by 14 metres. The earthwork rises between half a metre and 1.4 metres above the surrounding countryside, with what appears to be an original entrance gap of approximately 4 metres wide on its southern side. Just inside this entrance, archaeologists have identified a small depression measuring roughly 3.4 by 3.6 metres, which may represent the foundation of an internal structure or storage pit.
While time and agriculture have taken their toll on this site, the surviving earthworks offer a glimpse into the defensive strategies employed in medieval Kerry. The proximity of the bawn to the ringfort suggests a continuity of occupation and adaptation, where earlier Iron Age fortifications were potentially reused and modified during the late medieval period when bawns became common features of the Irish landscape, particularly in areas requiring protection for livestock and agricultural stores.