Bawn in Townparks (moycarn By. - Ballinasloe)

Strategically located on the E bank of the River Suck in Ballinasloe town, this rectangular bawn wall (N-S 54.5m, E-W 50.6m, average H 4.5m), associated with a castle (GA088-040----), commands an ancient crossing point (GA088-047----). The wall is very heavily overgrown with ivy but crenellations are evident on the S and W walls and traces of the wall-walk survive along the E and S walls. A plinth is visible at the base of the W wall. Modern doorways have been inserted in the E and W ends of the N wall. However, the remains of an arched gateway, in the centre of the E wall, may mark the original entrance. A keystone (GA088-040003-) dated 1597, inscribed with the name 'Anthony Braklon', and now lying to the E of the 19th-century house (GA088-040001-) that occupies the S sector of the interior, was originally situated above the gateway. A circular turret (D 2.45m) at the SW corner is three storeys high. Access is gained via a rectangular doorway on the ground floor. The interior is lit by two small windows: some gun loops are also visible and there is a fireplace flue on the 1st floor. As a result of the construction of the house and its associated outhouses, no visible surface trace of the castle survives. The bawn is flanked on the E and W sides by watercourses marked on the OS 6-inch maps as 'Mill Race'. While these were undoubtedly designed to supply the 18th-19-C 'Corn Mill (in Ruins)', shown on the OS 6-inch maps immediately to the SE, they may be medieval in origin. (O'Flanagan 1927, Vol. 1, 527-30; Egan 1960, 69-70; Kerrigan 1980, 135) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Updated by: Olive Alcock Date of revised upload: 8 December 2016

Built by the Blake family in the 17th century, the Bawn in Townparks was part of a defensive complex controlling a key crossing point on the River Suck. It is remembered for its strategic role in the region's military and trade history.