Bawn, Kilquire Lower, Co. Mayo
In the rolling pastures near Ballinrobe, County Mayo, the remnants of a historic bawn offer a glimpse into Ireland's turbulent past.
Bawn, Kilquire Lower, Co. Mayo
This defensive structure, recorded in An Archaeological Survey of Ballinrobe and District, consists of a stone wall standing roughly 0.8 metres high that traces out an almost rectangular enclosure. The space it defines measures approximately 48.6 metres from north to south and 43.1 metres from east to west, creating a substantial fortified area that once served as a protective courtyard.
The bawn at Kilquire Lower represents a type of fortification that became common across Ireland during the plantation period, when settlers needed to defend their homes and livestock from raids. These walled enclosures typically surrounded a tower house or castle, providing a secure space where cattle could be brought in during times of danger. What makes this particular site intriguing is the presence of castle ruins in the southwest corner of the bawn, though the exact nature and date of this structure remain unclassified in archaeological records.
Today, visitors to this quiet corner of Mayo can still trace the outline of the bawn wall as it emerges from the grass, a subtle but tangible connection to centuries of Irish history. The site serves as a reminder of how the landscape itself became militarised during periods of conquest and resistance, with even agricultural spaces requiring fortification. While much of the original structure has been lost to time, what remains tells the story of a community that once lived, worked, and defended themselves within these protective walls.





