Bellaghy Bawn Open Weekend

What to Expect

Bellaghy Bawn is a fortified house and defensive wall, or bawn, built around 1619 by Sir Baptist Jones during the Plantation of Ulster, and remains one of the best-preserved plantation settlements of its kind in the county, with its stone walls and corner towers still largely intact. Inside, the building houses exhibitions on the plantation period, the O’Cahan clan whose territory the planters settled, and on the surrounding South Derry landscape, including the literary heritage of the area associated with Seamus Heaney, who grew up nearby and drew heavily on the fields, bogs and townlands around Bellaghy in his poetry. On open weekends, visitors can walk the bawn walls, look out over the surrounding countryside from the corner towers, and explore the exhibition rooms at their own pace, free of charge, with volunteer or Historic Environment Division staff usually on hand to answer questions. It makes an easy stop alongside a visit to Seamus Heaney HomePlace, the purpose-built literary centre a short walk away in the same village, giving visitors both the plantation-era and the literary sides of Bellaghy’s history in a single trip.

Good to Know

• Opens 12:00pm to 4:00pm on the last weekend of the month through spring and summer; this listing reflects the late August opening
• Free entry, no booking required
• Located on Castle Street in Bellaghy village, Co. Derry
• Pairs well with a visit to Seamus Heaney HomePlace, a short walk away in the same village
• Confirm the opening is proceeding as scheduled via communities-ni.gov.uk before travelling, as dates can be subject to change

Getting There

Bellaghy is a village in South Derry, roughly midway between Magherafelt and Toome on the B160, about a 15-minute drive from Magherafelt. The Bawn is on Castle Street in the centre of the village, within walking distance of the main street.