Built around 1650, this defensive structure once formed the protective outer walls of a manor house belonging to the Gore family, English settlers who arrived during the Plantation of Ulster. The rectangular stone enclosure, with its thick walls and strategic coastal position, served as both a statement of authority and a practical defence against the very real threat of raids during this period of colonisation and conflict.

The bawn’s construction tells the story of a time when landowners needed to fortify their properties against potential attacks from dispossessed Irish families and rival settlers alike. These defensive structures, common throughout Ulster and parts of Connacht during the plantation period, typically featured high walls punctuated by defensive towers or flankers at the corners; though time has taken its toll on Ardtermon’s original features. The Gore family, who would later become the Gore-Booth family of nearby Lissadell House, used this stronghold as their seat of power in north Sligo for several generations.

Today, the remaining walls of Ardtermon bawn stand as a reminder of the complex layers of Irish history; conquest, resistance, and eventual integration. While the manor house itself has long since vanished, the surviving stonework offers visitors a tangible connection to the plantation era. The site, located just off the R291 coastal road between Sligo town and Lissadell, provides an evocative setting where the Atlantic winds that once carried threats of Spanish galleons and French privateers now blow peacefully through the ancient stones.