Why this matters
Built in the 17th century as a fortified three-storey house attached to a tower house, the Bawn in Ballyadams reflects the defensive architecture of the period, likely held by a local Gaelic or Anglo-Irish family. Its significance lies in its rare combination of tower house and bawn, illustrating the transition from medieval to early modern defensive structures in Ireland.
What is recorded here
Large rectangular seventeenth-century fortified three storey house (LA019-028002-), attached to E side of tower house (LA019-028001-). Parts of the house are possibly contemporary with the tower house, while others are definitely of a later period. Possible evidence of bawn wall (LA019-028003-) at SE.
Visited and surveyed by Michael Moore on the 30 May 1994 and described as situated on the W edge of a plain which stretches off to E and N. Land rises to a hill immediately to W and there is a gentle rise to the S. The services tower is in an excellent condition but the house is in very poor condition. This is a three storey medieval house with a service tower offset to W and N. The services tower is six storeys high and contains an imposing entrance, defensive features and garderobes while the house was devoted exclusively to living and was much altered probably in the 18th century by the insertion of large windows. The house (ext. dims. 19.95m N-S; 11.42m E-W; wall T 1.5m) is composed of roughly coursed limestone mortared walls. There is no base batter and no dressed quoins. The line of a gate is built into the S wall off centre to E indicating that their may have been some sort of a bawn wall to S of castle (LA019-028001-).
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 17 December 2007
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