Bawn, Cormackstown, Co. Tipperary North
Standing on a low ridge in Cormackstown, County Tipperary North, the remnants of an unusual hexagonal bawn wall offer a glimpse into Ireland's turbulent past.
Bawn, Cormackstown, Co. Tipperary North
Only the western half of this defensive structure survives today, with three walls still visible: the southeast section stretching 13.1 metres, the southwest wall running 17.35 metres, and the northwest portion extending 12.5 metres. The eastern half has long since disappeared, its stones likely repurposed for the modern farm buildings that now occupy the site.
The construction tells its own story of medieval engineering. Built from roughly coursed limestone rubble set directly onto natural rock outcrop, the wall features massive masonry boulders that suggest it may date back to the early medieval period. The builders employed clever techniques, including angled quoin stones at the corners that allowed the walls to meet at the precise angles needed to create the hexagonal shape. A stone plinth runs along the interior base, providing a solid foundation, whilst a single putlog hole; a remnant from the original scaffolding used during construction; can still be spotted off-centre on the western wall. The southwest wall contains a blocked gateway, 2 metres wide and 2.6 metres high, which once provided access to the enclosed space.
Historical records from the Civil Survey of 1654-6 provide a tantalising connection to the site’s past, referring to ‘the ould stump of a stone house in Ballycormocke’ that once stood within these walls. The property belonged to Theobold Purcell of Loghmoe Esquire, identified as an ‘Irish Papist’, marking him as a Catholic landowner during a period when religious affiliation could determine one’s fate. The bawn likely served as a protective enclosure for this house, offering defence against raids and attacks that were common in medieval and early modern Ireland.





