Bawn in Graiguepadeen

There is no mention of a castle or bawn in Graiguepadeen in the Civil Survey (1654-6) when Pierce Butler of Callan, Co. Kilkenny is listed as proprietor of the lands in 1640 (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 121). It is situated on top of natural rock outcrop at the N end of a N-S ridge with good extensive views in all directions. The bawn (ext. dims. N-S 11m x E-W 8m; wall T 1.3m) is located S of an L-plan fortified house (TS042-018----). There are concrete walls constructed up against the inner face of the S wall of the bawn. The bawn wall projects westward from the NW angle of the house for a distance of 2.95m and returns southward for a distance of 11m and then E for a distance of 8m but elsewhere it is destroyed. The bawn wall probably returned onto the external E face of the house to the N of the main ground-floor doorway or onto the NE angle of the house. The N side of the house may not have been enclosed by the bawn but was possibly afforded some protection by the natural fall of ground on this side. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011