Built during the plantation era, the bawn combines defensive features with residential comfort, reflecting the uncertain times in which it was constructed. The structure’s thick walls and strategic positioning speak to an era when landowners needed to balance daily life with the very real possibility of conflict.

The bawn’s design follows the typical pattern of these defensive homesteads that dotted the Irish landscape during the 16th and 17th centuries. Its sturdy construction features limestone walls, narrow windows that could serve as defensive positions, and a layout that prioritised security whilst maintaining the functions of a working estate. The building would have served multiple purposes; it was simultaneously a family home, an administrative centre for the surrounding lands, and a refuge for tenants and livestock during times of trouble.

Today, the remains at Balrickard offer visitors a tangible connection to Ireland’s complex colonial past. The structure stands as a reminder of the plantation system that reshaped Connacht’s social and physical landscape. Though time has taken its toll on the building, enough survives to help us understand how these frontier settlements operated, bridging the gap between medieval tower houses and the grand country houses that would follow in more peaceful times.