The foundations that remain today tell the story of a substantial gateway that controlled access to this medieval stronghold. Measuring 9 metres in length with a 3-metre-wide passage, this gatehouse straddled the centre of the northwestern wall of the tower house’s bawn, the defensive wall that would have enclosed the tower and its associated buildings.

The gatehouse would have served as the primary entrance to Cloonbigny tower house, a fortified residence typical of those built by Gaelic and Anglo-Norman families across Ireland between the 15th and 17th centuries. Its strategic positioning on slightly elevated ground would have given defenders a clear view of anyone approaching from the lower-lying areas, whilst the narrow passage through the gateway could be easily defended if needed.

Today, whilst only the foundations remain visible, they offer a tangible connection to Ireland’s turbulent medieval past. The gatehouse would have been an imposing structure in its day, likely featuring a portcullis or heavy wooden doors, murder holes above the passage, and chambers for guards. Together with the tower house and bawn wall, it formed part of a defensive complex that protected the families who lived here through centuries of raids, rebellions, and changing political fortunes in medieval Connacht.