Bunown

27 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Bunown, from 675 m² to 467,609 m² (46.76 ha, 115.55 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 27 neighbouring parcels touch it.

No zone of a development plan covers Bunown in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply to each application.

Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.

• 23 Apr 2019N/a

  Construction of a single-storey extension to rear of existing two-storey cottage to facilitate ground floor Universal Access plus general upgrade and modernisation of existing building structure, internal layout and services. External ramped pedestrian access and all associated works and landscaping. Connection to existing septic tank. Propose works to facilitate the use of the cottage as residential ("granny flat") use ancillary to the main house rather than current use as playroom and storage

  Permission, 1 home · Westmeath County Council, 197095

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

• Special Area of Conservation: Lough Ree SAC 000440
• Special Protection Area: Lough Ree SPA 004064
• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Lough Ree 000440

Recorded monuments

• WM022-021 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on a slight natural rise, in gently undulating pasture. Monument described in 1971 as a roughly oval-shaped area (dims. 40.7m N-S; 33m E-W) enclosed by a modified bank and external fosse. The bank has been mainly reduced to a scarp and there is no clear entrance feature visible. Modern fences intersect the site at N, S and SW. The precise nature of the monument is not certain, however it may have been a ringfort which was modified to form a tree-ring in the post-1700 period. Not depicted as an antiquity on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. Depicted as an irregular shaped grove of trees on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map where it is shown standing on W boundary of a large field annotated 'Limekiln Park'. The interior rises from the perimeter towards the centre and has large depressions which may represent the remains of uprooted trees. Outline of poorly preserved enclosure bisected by a post-1700 field boundary is visible today on Digital Globe aerial photographs. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 16 July 2019

• WM022-022 Castle - tower house
  Description

  Bunown Castle standing on a rise of ground 1.2km NNE of Bunowen church (WM022-031001-) and graveyard (WM022-031003-), and 1km NW of Bunown Mill (WM022-046----). Castle described in 1979 as the ruins of a rectangular tower house (approx. ext. dims. 10m N-S x 7.5m E-W) standing two stories high, built of limestone, with good quoins and a pointed doorway now blocked in the SE wall and slit windows with dressed jambs on the first floor. No access to the interior of the castle. The tower house stands at the north-east end of a large sub-triangular walled enclosure. Well located 60m to SE. The only entrance is by a gateway now locked. Tower house now covered in vegetation and standing in abandoned farmyard. Impossible to examine structure due to cover of vegetation on the building. Bunown Castle depicted as a tower house type structure standing in the townlands of Bunowen, Tullimore Bogganboy & Aghacurra' on the 1654-7 Down Survey map of Bunowen parish (NLI, Ms 723-4). On this map the castle is standing on the lands of Bunowen which according to the map were 'Decreed to a protestant in Small pcells' (ibid.). The terrier of the Down Survey map of Bunown parish recorded that there stands 'on Bunowen & c. a Castle and a mill' (WM022-046----) which stood on the lands of Pierce Dillon, an Irish papist in 1641. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 13 December 2017

• WM022-030 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Situated in woodland area on W facing slope of rising ground overlooking Killinure Bay on 45m to the WSW. Bunown church (WM022-031001-) and graveyard (WM022-031001-) 200m to SSE. Boat House 10m to SSW contains late medieval punch-dressed stone taken from Bunown Church and reused as the head of a window in the E gable. Dried up holy well (int. diam. 1m; D 1m) known locally as 'Lady Well' enclosed by a drystone wall with entrance at W, no votive offerings visible. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload; 16 April 2018

• WM022-031001 Church
  Description

  Poorly preserved ruins of Bunown Church stands in W quadrant of graveyard (WM022-031003-) 100m E of the shoreline of Killinure Bay at S end of Lough Ree. Lady Well (WM022-030----) 185m to SWW. Boat House 10m SSW of Lady Well contains late medieval punch-dressed chamfered stone taken from Bunown Church and reused as the head of a window in the E gable of the boathouse. The church overlooks Temple's Island (formerly known as Marie Island) 830m to SSW. Bunown Castle (WM022-022----) stands 1.1km to NNE. Only the S and W walls of the church survive upstanding and are now covered in ivy making detailed examination impossible. The W gable (approx. ext. L. 7m) stands two storeys high with a window in the centre of the wall at first floor level with aumbry located off centre to S also at first floor level. Traces of the springing of a ground floor stone vault can be seen rising from inner face of W gable which probably represents the remains of a two storey priests residence at W end of church. A small aumbry is visible at E end of S wall (approx. ext. L 17m). No visible remains of the E gable with a small portion of the NE angle intact but covered in ivy. No other features visible. During the reign of Henry the VIII a grant was issued which entailed the 'uniting and appropriating to the bishopric and see of Meath, the parochial church of Loghsewdy (WM024-005----) in co. Westmeath, and the chapels of Clonecally [Clooncallow (LF027-048001-), Co. Longford], Bonowne [Bunown], and Oghewally [Noughaval (WM016-012----)],' (Nicholls 1994, 631). Medieval church of Bunowen and its 4 acres of glebeland are depicted standing on the shoreline of Killinure Bay on the 1654-9 Down Survey map of Bunowen parish (NLI, MS 723-4). In 1837 the site was described as the 'ruins of the ancient church, in which are some monuments to the Dillon family, are romantically situated on the verdant bank and at the very extremity of the Inner Lake; and a little higher up are the ruins of the ancient castle of Benowen' (Lewis 1837, 205). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 20 December 2017

• WM022-031002 Field system
  Description

  Situated on rising ground overlooking Killinure Bay to the W. To the S of Bunown church (WM022-031001-) and graveyard (WM022-031003-) there is a sub-rectangular shaped platform bounded by a low earthen bank set on a scarp, with a second sub-rectangular banked enclosure to the SSE. Extending outwards from this and from the graveyard and reaching to the lake shore on the SE, SW and NW area is an extensive series of banks forming irregular enclosures and small fields of unknown antiquity. The earthworks may represent a field system which pre-dates the graveyard wall as one of the banks runs beneath the wall which was probably constructed in the 19th century. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 21 December 2017

• WM022-031003 Graveyard
  Description

  Bunown graveyard (WM022-031003-) stands on a rise of ground 100m E of the shoreline of Killinure Bay at S end of Lough Ree. Lady Well (WM022-030----) 185m to SWW. The church overlooks Temple's Island (formerly known as Marie Island) 830m to SSW. Bunown Castle (WM022-022----) stands 1.1km to NNE. The ruins of Bunown Church (WM022-031001-) stands in W quadrant of the rectangular shaped graveyard (approx. dims. 45m N-S x 66m E-W) which is enclosed by an earthen bank and post-1700 wall with entrance gate at E. Graveyard covered in dense vegetation making detailed examination of graveyard impossible. Immediately inside the graveyard wall are the remains of an earthen bank which enclosed the graveyard prior to the construction of the stone wall probably in the 19th century. The surface of the graveyard on the W side rises high above the stone wall and the surrounding land. A series of low earthworks (WM022-031002-) forming irregular-shaped enclosures can be seen in the field immediately S of the graveyard wall. Earthworks in field to NNW of graveyard appear to represent the remains of a possible rectangular-shaped field, quarrying and an old roadway connecting the church to Lady Well House located 400m to NNW. Modern woodland plantation in field 50m to E located in area marked as 'Church Park' on 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map. Curving earthworks visible on Digital Globe aerial photographs taken November 2011 in field 200m to NNE of graveyard are located in an area marked the 'Beating park' on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 21 December 2017

• WM022-032 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on poorly drained land now located at W edge of modern forestry plantation. Site was impossible to examine due to dense cover of vegetation. Described in 1978 as a sub-circular or roughly pear-shaped area (approx. dims. 64m NW-SE x 59m NE-SW) enclosed by a wide low earth and stone bank and external fosse. The interior contains a number of house sites and internal banks. Enclosure not depicted as an antiquity on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. Possibly a ringfort that was converted into a tree-ring as part of the demesne landscaping belonging to Ladywell House located 490m to W. Depicted as a tree-ring on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. On this map the enclosure is located in a field marked as 'Limekiln Park'. On the 1911 ed. OS 25-inch a lime kiln is shown standing 90m to E of the enclosure. it is possible that the houses and the earthen banks in the centre of the enclosure are related to the workings of the post-1700 limekiln. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 22 December 2017

Architectural heritage

• Harmony Hall, gate lodge, 1780–1820 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached five-bay single-storey former gate lodge on, built c.1800, comprising central projecting three-bay single-storey section flanked to northwest and southeast by sections of (curved) screen walling incorporating single-bay side sections/wings. Curved screen wall to either side terminated by a rendered gate pier on square-plan. Formerly associated with Harmony Hall (15402207). Now in use as private residence. Pitched artificial slate roof with rendered chimneystacks having terracotta chimney pots over. Roughcast rendered walls over smooth rendered plinth. Square-headed window openings with cement rendered reveals and replacement windows. Central square-headed doorcase having cement rendered reveals, rendered block-and-start surrounds and replacement timber double doors. Main entrance gates, on semi-circular plan, serving Harmony Hall across road to northeast, comprising central vehicular entrance flanked to northwest and southeast by integral pedestrian entrances set into sections of curved screen walling. Vehicular entrance comprises pair of rendered gate piers on square-plan having moulded cut stone coping over and cast-iron double gates. Cut stone architraves to flanking pedestrian entrances having iron gates. Entrance gates and entrance gates located to the southeast of Harmony Hall (15402207) and to the northwest of Glassan.

• Ladywell Park, gate lodge, 1840–1850 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached two-bay single-storey former gate lodge serving Ladywell House, built c.1845. Now in use as a private house. Hipped natural slate roof with overhanging eaves having cast-iron rainwater goods and a rendered chimneystack. Rendered walls. Square-headed window openings with cut stone sills and Wyatt-style timber sliding sash windows. Located adjacent to main entrance to Ladywell House (to the south) and to the northwest of Glassan.

• Ladywell Park, country house, 1840–1850 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached six-bay two-storey over (partial) basement country house on L-shaped plan, built c.1845, having open entrance porch/copy supported by cast-iron pillars to the centre of the east elevation and a single-bay extension to the north end. Shallow hipped natural slate roof with overhanging eaves and rendered chimneystacks having terracotta chimney pots over. Ruled-and-line rendered walls with cut stone detailing, including a projecting sill course at first floor level. Square-headed window openings having cut stone sills and six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows to ground floor openings and four-over-eight pane timber sliding sash windows to first floor openings. Ground floor openings have entablatures over supported on console brackets. Projecting single-bay breakfront to the centre of the south facing elevation having a square-headed opening with French door having pediment over at first floor level giving access to a cast-iron balcony. Set back from road in extensive mature grounds with complex of outbuildings to the north and a Gothic boat house to the south (not viewed). Located on the north shores of Killinure Lough, to the west of Glassan.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

No address of the register names Bunown with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Westmeath.

Name

Bunown

Area

1,457,423 m² (145.74 ha, 360.14 acres)

Civil parish

Bunown, and its townlands

Barony

Kilkenny West

Electoral division

Glassan, the unit of the census

Neighbouring townlands

Farrannamoreen, Glassan, Killinure North, Killinure South, Lissakillen South, Portaneena

Placenames

Bunown on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address; old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.