What is recorded here

Indicated, Derrydonnell More is a small rectangular bawn in County Galway, Ireland. It stands about twenty metres long and sixteen metres wide, surrounding Derrydonnell Castle with roughly coursed mortared rubble walls. Angle bastions at the east and west still carry gun loops, while a later building broke through the northeast side. The stones remain tall enough along most of the southeast, southwest and northwest to show that this was no ordinary farmyard, but a defended place where people lived, worked and watched the land.

This small rectangular bawn (c. 20m NE-SW; c. 16m NW-SE) surrounds 'Derrydonnell Castle' (GA095-028----). Cody (1989, 365-6) recorded that the walls were c. 3m distant from from the castle on all sides and that it was constructed of roughly coursed mortarted rubble. The walls (H 2.5-3m; Wth 1m) survived in a fair state along most of the SE, SW and NW sides. The NE side was greatly collapsed where a later building (GA095-028003-) extended off it. Sections of collapse also occurred along the S end of the SW side and mid-way along the SE side. Angle bastions were visible at E and W. There were five gun loops in both and two further examples were visible close to the W bastion, one in the SW wall and one in the NW wall. On re-inspection in February 2005, it was found that the SW wall had been damaged as a result of land-improvement works in the area. Another larger bawn (GA095-028001-) extends off the NW side of this bawn. Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 13 July 2023

Derrydonnell More was likely built by the O'Donnell clan of Tyrconnell in the late 15th or early 16th century as a defensive structure associated with their regional power. It is remembered as part of the broader network of Gaelic lordship strongholds in western Ulster.

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