Built during the plantation period of the 16th and 17th centuries, bawns were walled enclosures that protected manor houses, livestock, and their inhabitants from raids and attacks. These structures were particularly common in areas where English and Scottish settlers established themselves amongst a sometimes hostile Irish population.

The Moycullen bawn exemplifies the typical defensive architecture of its era, with thick stone walls that once formed a rectangular courtyard around a central dwelling. While many bawns featured corner towers for additional defence, the surviving walls here show the practical construction methods employed by settlers who needed protection but often lacked the resources for elaborate fortifications. The structure would have served multiple purposes; providing shelter for cattle during raids, storage for crops, and a defensive position for the family and their workers during times of conflict.

Today, the bawn stands as a monument to a complex period in Irish history when the landscape was dotted with these fortified homesteads. The ruins tell the story of communities caught between cultures, where Gaelic Irish traditions met with English colonial ambitions, creating a unique architectural legacy. Though time and weather have taken their toll on the structure, the remaining walls continue to mark the Galway countryside, serving as a tangible reminder of how people once lived, worked, and defended their homes in rural Ireland.