A bawn, derived from the Irish word ‘bábhún’, was essentially a fortified courtyard that served as the defensive heart of many Irish settlements during the 16th and 17th centuries. These structures were particularly common during the Plantation period, when English and Scottish settlers required protection from raids whilst establishing their holdings in unfamiliar territory.

This particular bawn would have originally consisted of a rectangular stone wall enclosure, likely standing between three and four metres high, with defensive features such as corner towers or flankers from which defenders could cover the walls with musket fire. The enclosed courtyard would have sheltered livestock during raids, stored crops and supplies, and provided a secure rallying point for the local community during times of conflict. Many bawns were built adjacent to tower houses or fortified manor houses, creating a defensive complex that could withstand the hit-and-run tactics common in Irish warfare of the period.

Today, what remains at Castlemagarretpark Old offers visitors a tangible connection to this defensive architecture that once dotted the Irish landscape. Whilst time and weather have reduced many of these structures to foundation stones and partial walls, they remain important archaeological features that help us understand how communities organised themselves for defence during one of Ireland’s most tumultuous periods. The bawn here joins hundreds of similar sites across Ireland, each one marking a place where settlers and native Irish alike sought security in an uncertain age.