Bawn in Killaghy

In a demesne, in generally flat terrain under pasture. The Down Survey (1655-6) depicts a castle and four dwellings and according to the Civil Survey (1654-6) on lands owned by 'James Tobyn of Killaghy Irish Papist' in 1640 there stood 'a castle lately repaired at ye States charge with a bawne, two thatcht houses within the same & 12 houses & cabbins abroad' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 136). Smyth (1985, 133) refers to Killaghy as one of several garrisons which were established after the 1641 Rising to destroy any remaining resistance forces that survived into the late 1650s. The castle was forfeited by the Tobins in 1653 and later owned by the Despards who garrisoned it during the 1798 rebellion (Bence-Jones 1988, 169). A five-storey tower house (TS063-027001-) and an 18th-century two-storey, 5-bay castellated wing (long-axis NE-SW) adjoins to the W with a short return of castellated wing to rear at the SW end. Infill addition to NW of same adjoins long outbuilding to NW. This arrangement of buildings encloses a small courtyard to the rear of the tower house and castellated wing. The long outbuilding (long-axis NE-SW) has been converted into holiday apartments. It forms the SE side of a larger courtyard to the NW. A short outbuilding forms the NW side of the large courtyard and the remainder of this side is defined by a wall, as is the SW and NE sides. There is no evidence of the original bawn within this courtyard. The bawn is unlocated within the vicinity of the tower house. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 18 April 2012