This defensive enclosure, measuring approximately 50 metres north to south and 40 metres east to west, once surrounded and protected a castle that still stands in ruins today. The castle itself forms the eastern boundary of what was likely a fortified courtyard, a common feature of Anglo-Norman and later settlements throughout Ireland.

The site came to archaeological attention through a 1971 aerial photograph taken by the Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography, which captured the ghostly outline of the bawn’s fosse, or defensive ditch, as a cropmark in the fields. These marks appear when buried archaeological features affect crop growth; plants growing above old ditches tend to be lusher and greener, whilst those above stone foundations often appear stunted. Though nothing remains visible at ground level today, the photograph provides clear evidence of the enclosure’s former extent and layout.

Bawns like this one at Kilberry were essential defensive structures in medieval and early modern Ireland, typically consisting of a walled courtyard that provided protection for livestock, stores, and the local population during raids or conflicts. The combination of castle and bawn suggests this was once a significant local stronghold, though time and agriculture have erased most physical traces of its defensive walls and ditches. The site stands as a reminder of how much of Ireland’s medieval landscape lies hidden just beneath the surface, waiting to be rediscovered through modern archaeological techniques.