Bailieborough Castle

A castle and bawn was erected in the mid-17th century by William Baillie, a Cromwellian planter, on or near the site of Bailieborough Castle, which is described (Lewis 1837, vol. 1, 99) as on the site of a fortification that featured in Pynnar’s survey as Tonregie and is described (ibid.) as a “vaulted castle, with a bawn 90 feet square, and two flanking towers…. This ancient castle remained still standing till within a few years, when it was pulled down to make for additions and improvements in the present house. (Davies 1948a, 108) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 December 2008

William Baillie, a Cromwellian planter, built Crocknahattin Castle in the mid-17th century as part of the English colonial settlement in Ireland. It is remembered as a symbol of post-Cromwellian land redistribution and plantation efforts in the region.