To the east of the castle ruins, a barely perceptible rise in the ground may indicate where a bawn once stood; a fortified courtyard that would have protected livestock and provided a first line of defence against raiders. These bawns were common features of Irish castles and tower houses, particularly during the plantation period when Anglo-Norman and later English settlers needed secure compounds for their households.

The site reveals more of its secrets during winter months when vegetation patterns become visible. A linear mark appears to the southeast of the castle, potentially tracing the path of an old bawn wall that has long since been levelled, or perhaps a defensive ditch that once marked the boundary of the fortified area. These earthworks, though now almost invisible to the casual observer, would have formed an impressive defensive perimeter in their day.

Archaeological features like these require a trained eye to spot, yet they tell important stories about how people lived and defended themselves in medieval and early modern Ireland. The research compiled by Caimin O’Brien in May 2011 helps preserve knowledge of these fragile remnants, which might otherwise be lost to memory as the physical traces continue to fade into the landscape.