What is recorded here

Bawn in Coolalough stands on a small Westmeath knoll, its faded stone wall still tracing the edge of the land beside a modern farm. The castle and its enclosed yard faced outward across open pasture, giving whoever lived there a wide view and a defensible position. It is the kind of place where ordinary farm life and older power share the same ground.

Situated on top of a small knoll, in undulating pasture, with extensive views of the surrounding landscape. A modern farm complex lies c. 50m to NE. Not depicted on OS maps. Enclosing a tower house (WM037-002----) are traces of a rectangular-shaped enclosure defined by a stone wall which roughly follows the contour of a small knoll on which the castle stands. Possible outline of bawn is visible today on Digital Globe aerial photography. Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien. Date of upload: 28 November 2019

The Bawn in Coolalough was likely built in the 16th or 17th century as a defensive enclosure for a tower house, reflecting the need for protection during periods of political and military unrest in Ireland. Its location on a prominent knoll highlights its strategic importance for surveillance and defense.

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