Also 6 baon, banne, 7–8 baune, 9 bane. [ad. Ir. bábhun (O’Clery), of unknown derivation.]
1. A fortified enclosure, enceinte or circumvallation; the fortified court or outwork of a castle.
1537. St. Papers Hen. VIII., II. 441. Our Englishe men assauted the diges and baon of the castell.
1586. J. Hooker, Girald. Irel., in Holinsh., II. 167/1. This castell … and the bannes about it.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., 502 b. These … square bawns which you see so strongly trenched and thrown up.
1736. Carte, Ormonde, II. 6. Defects in the walls of the outward Bawne … rendered it assaultable.
1827. Hallam, Const. Hist., III. 506, in N. & Q., 1850, Ser. I. I. 440/1. Those who received 2000 acres were bound … to build a castle and bawn or strong court yard: the second class … to build a stone house with a bawn; the third class a bawn only.
2. A cattlefold.
1850. N. & Q., Ser. I. II. 60/2. The word bawn or bane … is still applied in the south of Ireland to the … place for milking the cows of a farm … Before the practice of housing cattle became general, every country gentleman’s house had its bawn.
1882. Whitehall Rev., No. 21. 6/1. A large castle … with a bawn attached to preserve their cattle at night.
