Bawn, Tirlickeen, Co. Longford

Bawn, Tirlickeen, Co. Longford

The remains of a 17th-century fortified bawn at Tirlickeen in County Longford offer a glimpse into Ireland's turbulent plantation period.

Bawn, Tirlickeen, Co. Longford

According to the 1641 depositions, John Farrell and his associates seized this defensive complex, which included a castle, great house and various outbuildings. Today, the subrectangular bawn measures roughly 32 by 31 metres and is surrounded by a rubble-built wall, best preserved along its eastern corner and southeastern side. A water-filled fosse, varying between 2 and 4.5 metres wide, still encircles the structure, just as it would have provided an additional layer of defence centuries ago.

The most striking feature is a circular angle tower on the western corner, standing about 4 metres high and built from roughly coursed rubble with lime rendering. This two-storey defensive structure, accessed through a doorway on its southeastern side, contains two blocked gun loops positioned to provide flanking fire along the northern and western walls of the bawn. Evidence of recesses in the internal walls suggests a timber staircase once led to the first floor, which was lit by three rectangular windows. Inside the bawn, the foundations of a building measuring approximately 10 by 4 metres can still be traced, though this structure dates to the 19th century rather than the original complex.

Intriguingly, no surface traces remain of the 17th-century house mentioned in the historical records; it likely stood in an adjoining irregularly shaped enclosure to the southeast. This secondary area, measuring about 72 by 60 metres, is defined by similar rubble walls and an external fosse, suggesting it was built around the same time as the main bawn. A cobbled roadway runs through its southern end, whilst additional walls extending from the angle tower may have enclosed the gardens or orchards that would have supplied the household. The entire complex paints a picture of a substantial plantation-era estate, designed as much for defence as for domestic comfort during one of Ireland’s most unsettled periods.

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Tirlickeen, Co. Longford
53.58574792, -7.79117432
53.58574792,-7.79117432
Tirlickeen 
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