Bawn, Carrowbrickeen, Co. Sligo
Within the ancient earthen banks of a ringfort in Carrowbrickeen, County Sligo, lies a collection of stone foundations that tell a quiet story of medieval Irish life.
Bawn, Carrowbrickeen, Co. Sligo
These grass-covered remnants extend inward from the northern and southern sections of the fort’s defensive bank, reaching towards the centre of the enclosure. To the west stands a tower house, a later addition that speaks to the site’s continued importance through the centuries.
The ringfort itself represents one of Ireland’s most common archaeological features; thousands of these circular enclosures once dotted the landscape, serving as defended homesteads for farming families between the early medieval period and the 12th century. The stone foundations at Carrowbrickeen likely mark where domestic buildings once stood, perhaps dwelling houses, storage structures, or workshops that supported daily life within the fort’s protective embrace.
What makes this particular site intriguing is its relationship with the nearby tower house, suggesting the location remained significant long after ringforts fell out of common use. The bawn, or fortified enclosure, would have provided additional defence for the tower house during the turbulent late medieval period. Today, these sod-covered stones offer visitors a tangible connection to the layers of history that characterise the Irish countryside, where centuries of habitation have left their mark in the very bones of the landscape.