Lesson plan
Bawn
with its surrounding bawn A bawn is the defensive wall enclosing an Irish tower house. The term is the anglicised form of the Irish word bábhún (also historically spelled badhún), which is thought to derive from words meaning "cattle-stronghold" or "cattle-enclosure". The Irish word for "cow" is bó (plural ba), while dún means "stronghold" or "enclosure"; its genitive case is dúin. Bawns originally served to protect cattle from raids and other attacks. Early bawns typically consisted of trenches reinforced with stakes or hedges, which were gradually superseded by stone walls. As tower houses became widespread, the term came to refer specifically to the defensive walls surrounding these structures. Comparable terms in England and Scotland include "pele" (as in pele tower) and "barmkin".
Article summary
with its surrounding bawn A bawn is the defensive wall enclosing an Irish tower house. The term is the anglicised form of the Irish word bábhún (also historically spelled badhún), which is thought to derive from words meaning "cattle-stronghold" or "cattle-enclosure". The Irish word for "cow" is bó (plural ba), while dún means "stronghold" or "enclosure"; its genitive case is dúin. Bawns originally served to protect cattle from raids and other attacks. Early bawns typically consisted of trenches reinforced with stakes or hedges, which were gradually superseded by stone walls. As tower houses became widespread, the term came to refer specifically to the defensive walls surrounding these structures. Comparable terms in England and Scotland include "pele" (as in pele tower) and "barmkin".
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.