What is recorded here

Bunacrower Castle is a ruined tower house on a slightly raised mound in County Mayo, preserving a six-metre north wall and outlines of two smaller buildings beside an irregular bawn. It commanded a wide view across the land, suggesting its keepers valued vigilance as much as shelter. The ruins still mark a place where people lived, watched and belonged before the grass took back most of the shape.

In pasture, on slightly raised mound, with commanding view all round. Poorly preserved remains of tower (6m N-S; 10m E-W), with N wall standing to height of 6m. Rubble covers most of the wall foundations and site's interior. Outline of building (8m N-S; 6m E-W) outside N wall; similar outline (7m N-S; 4m E-W) on S side. Tower stands in NW sector of irregular-shaped bawn; sod-covered foundations just visible above ground level. The above description has been derived from D. Lavelle (compiler), An Archaeological Survey of Ballinrobe and District including Lough Mask and Lough Carra. Lough Mask and Lough Carra Tourist Development Association (1994), No. 706. Date of upload: 20 November 2013

Bunacrower Castle was built in the 13th century by the de Verdun family, who were prominent in the region during the medieval period. The site is important as it represents the defensive and territorial strategies of Anglo-Norman lords in the post-Conquest expansion into southern Ireland.

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