
What is recorded here
Bawn in Garryrickin is a 43m oval castle enclosure on a NW ridge slope in County Kilkenny, preserving only a SE gatehouse inside a scarp and broad fosse. The Aughatharra stream still threads its western ditch, while the old building disappears into pasture and memory. Carrigan misplaced it nearby in 1904, but the surviving gatehouse and water-cut bank keep the castle’s shape visible.
On level ground on the NW-facing slope of a ridge, in pasture. Carrigan (1904, vol. 4, 317) incorrectly assigns this castle to the Killtallaghan townland which is c. 40m to the SW. He describes it as being, 'situated within a circular rath, 60 yds. in diameter, with a deep fosse, through part of which, the "county" stream, called Aughatharra, winds its course. The remains of the castle consist of a ruined building 13 ft. [3.96m] wide and, at present, 14 ft. [4.26m] long, with an entrance door facing east and measuring 8 ft. [2.4m] in width and 12 ft. [3.65m] in height; the walls are 6 ft. [1.82m] thick. In Irish these ruins are known as the Shannachlugh (Sean Chloch) or Old Building'.
Little survives above ground of the castle (KK030-007001-), except the remains of a gatehouse which is located in the SE portion of an oval bawn. The bawn (int. diam. 43m NW-SE; 35m SW-NE) is defined by scarp (H 1.4m) and an external fosse (Wth 9m; D 1m). The fosse was dry when visited in 1989, except for the W sector where a stream, as mentioned by Carrigan, runs through the fosse.
See attached:
KK030-007002-_01 Google Earth satellite image, imagery date 18 September 2019
KK030-007002-_02 Sketch plan by Kieran Campbell, 17 May 1989
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 24 July 2023
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- What survives
- Recorded monument
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