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Bawn

What is recorded here

Killeenbrack Castle stands as a tall rectangular tower inside a large bawn in County Westmeath, where gunloops still pierce the surviving walls and corner flanker. The bawn measured fifty-two by forty-two metres, broad enough for livestock, tools and people to move during storms or threats. Its angular towers and loops suggest a household that expected danger, yet the castle remains preserved enough to show how confidently it was built.
‘Killeenbrack Castle’ situated in pasture. Castle described in 1978 as a well preserved tall rectangular-shaped tower house (WM024-111----) with adjoining building to S standing in S corner of large rectangular shaped bawn. Depicted on 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a rectangular-shaped area with tower house and later outbuildings in SE corner. The bawn is defended by two circular-shaped towers depicted on NW and SE angles, possible evidence of a partially destroyed corner tower on SW angle. Bawn described in 1978 as a roughly rectangular-shaped area (dims. 52m NNE-SSW; 42m ESE-WNW) enclosed by a high wall (H 3m max.) that is fairly well preserved with the remains of a circular-shaped tower on the SW corner, there are no longer any visible remains of a tower on the other corners. The walls of the bawn and circular-shaped angle tower are pierced with gun-loops. Castle described in by Salter (2004, 151) as following; 'Gunloops open off the window embrasures of the lowest level of this four storey tower measuring 10.8m by 8m. The south wall formed part of a surrounding bawn 52m by 42m, the SW corner of which still survives with a circular flanker and the 3m high adjoining walls'. Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien. Date of upload: 21 August 2019
Killeenbrack Castle is believed to have been built by a local Gaelic noble family in the late medieval period, likely between the 15th and 16th centuries. It is remembered for its well-preserved structure, which provides insight into the defensive and domestic architecture of tower houses in Ireland during that era.

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