Bawn in Killegland

Situated on a slight bluff on the flood-plain of the Broad Meadow River with a W-E section of it c. 30m to the N, and Killegland parish church (ME045-004----) is c. 340m to the S. The castle is at a ford (ME045-005002-) of the river, described as ‘stepping stones’ on the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map. Archaeological testing (02E0708) by W. O. Frazer identified a double-faced wall (Wth 2m) with a cobbled surface on its E side that is probably the SW wall of the castle (O’Donovan and Frazer 2002, 14). A bawn is not mentioned in any of the sources but further testing (17E0335) by J. Stirland discovered a demolition layer of the castle in the form of mortar and slates found at several places overlying paved or cobbled surfaces. In addition fragments of mortared rubble-core faced walls (Wth 0.8-1m) were encountered at various points and their distribution suggests that they may have been from a rectangular enclosure or bawn (dims c. 20m NE-SW; c. 15m NW-SE) around the castle. What might be the base of a protruding rectangular tower at the N angle was partially uncovered. (Stirland 2017) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 13 December 2021 O’Donovan, E. and Frazer, W. O. 2002 Phase II – Archaeological Assessment Ashbourne Town Centre Development, Killegland, Co. Meath. Licence: 02E0708. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen & Co.

A local castle; wider significance not recorded.