A bawn was essentially a fortified enclosure built to protect livestock, crops, and people during an era when cattle raids and local conflicts were commonplace. These defensive structures were particularly prevalent in Ulster and Connacht, where English and Scottish planters needed protection whilst establishing their settlements amongst often hostile Irish neighbours.

The Toberrooaun bawn would have originally featured high stone walls, possibly reaching up to 15 feet in height, creating a rectangular or square courtyard. Corner towers or flankers allowed defenders to cover the walls with musket fire, whilst the single entrance gate could be barred against raiders. Inside the enclosure, cattle could be secured at night; the most valuable form of wealth in Gaelic Ireland, where a person’s status was often measured by the size of their herd. The bawn might have been associated with a tower house or fortified dwelling, though any such structure may have long since vanished.

Today, what remains of the bawn offers visitors a tangible connection to this period of Irish history when the landscape was dotted with these defensive enclosures. The ruins speak to a time of constant vigilance, when communities lived under the perpetual threat of raids and reprisals; a reminder of how different daily life was for those who inhabited rural Ireland four centuries ago. Though weathered by time, these stones continue to tell the story of a society in transition, caught between the old Gaelic order and the new colonial reality.