Bellaghy Bawn

A 17th century fortified house and bawn (the defensive wall surrounding an Irish tower house), it was built by Sir Baptist Jones around 1619 when he rented the land from the Vintners Company of London. What you see today is a mix of building styles from different periods since then, with the main house lived in up until 1987. While it is thought that the house dates back to the 18th century, it was built on the site of an earlier 17th century house.

Bellaghy Bawn was opened to the public in 1996. Resources on site include a film made for the bawn, as well as a collection of Seamus Heaney's broadcasts. There are exhibitions on local natural history, local history, and poetry by local Nobel Laureate, Seamus Heaney.

Many of us are aware that Seamus Heaney won his Nobel Prize for literature in 1995. But how many of us actually know where the Nobel Prize originates from? Read this document (.PDF 400Kb) to find out more.