These defensive walls once formed a protective enclosure around a tower house, creating a fortified homestead typical of the 15th to 17th centuries when such structures dotted the Irish landscape. Today, only fragments remain; a short stretch of wall extends northward from the eastern end of the tower house’s north wall, whilst the crumbling ruins of a circular tower stand sentinel to the east.

The surviving portions offer a glimpse into the defensive architecture that once protected Irish landowners and their households during centuries of conflict and uncertainty. Bawns like this one served multiple purposes, providing secure areas for livestock during raids, storage for crops and supplies, and a last line of defence when the tower house itself came under threat. The circular tower would have been a crucial defensive feature, allowing defenders to survey the surrounding countryside and rain down arrows or musket fire on any approaching enemies.

Archaeological surveys conducted by Power and his team in 1992 documented these remains as part of Cork’s rich heritage of fortified structures. Though time and weather have reduced the bawn to these fragmentary remains, they stand as tangible links to an era when every landowner had to be prepared to defend their property. The site at Ballynacarriga joins hundreds of similar ruins across Ireland, each one a reminder of how the landscape itself was shaped by centuries of territorial disputes, cattle raids, and the constant need for security in an often lawless countryside.