Bawnboy (Irish: An Bábhún Buí, meaning 'the yellow bawn')[1] is a small village and townland in a valley at the foot of Slieve Rushen, between Ballyconnell and Swanlinbar, in County Cavan, Ireland.

A synod of the Catholic Provincial Council of Armagh was held in Owengallees, Baunbuidhe (Bawnboy), on 25 May 1669 where The Most Rev.

Eugene MacSweeney, Lord Bishop of Kilmore, tried to depose Thomas Fitzsimons, the vicar general of the diocese.

[3] In medieval times the McGovern barony of Tullyhaw was divided into economic taxation areas called ballibetoes, from the Irish Baile Biataigh (Anglicized as "Ballybetagh"), meaning 'A Provisioner's Town or Settlement'.

The original purpose was to enable the farmer, who controlled the baile, to provide hospitality for those who needed it, such as poor people and travellers.

The ballybetagh was also called "Aghawenagh", the original Irish is Achadh an Bhuí Eanaigh, meaning "The Field of the Yellow Bog").

Bawnboy takes its name from the term "bawn", the defensive wall surrounding an Irish tower house.

It is the anglicised version of the Irish word badhún meaning "cattle-stronghold" or "cattle-enclosure" – its original purpose was to protect cattle during an attack.

The 1622 Survey of County Cavan states:Sir Richard Greames, holdeth 1000 acres of this land, upon which there is built a Bawne of stone and lyme, sixty foot square and nine foot high, with a little stone house within, where in Lieutenant William Ruttledge dwelleth and hath a lease thereof and of 200 acres of land for 21 yeares and the rest of Sir Richard's 1000 acres are sett to the Irish from yeare to yeare, who plowgh after ye Irish fashion.The 1665 Down Survey map depicts it as Sir William Parson's Land.

[8] In the Hearth Money Rolls compiled on 29 September 1663[9] there were three taxpayers listed in Baonboy- William Lawther Esq., Stephen Murphy and Patricke Atcheson.

One of the more well-known pursuits is the boat trip to St. Mogues Island which runs for two days, usually the Wednesday and Thursday of the week.

This usually has a vintage car show, jam testing, fancy dress contest and numerous stalls which sell cakes and other objects.

Sir Charles Coote in his "Statistical Survey of County Cavan", 1801, page 289 writes:There had not been any farming society in Cavan, at the time I was collecting the materials for this survey; however I now learn, that a society is established at Bawnboy, of which Mr. Sneyd is president, who represents the county.

The encouragement now held out by the Farming Society of Ireland, to the minor establishments, will be doubtless no small incentive to us to cultivate our lands, and bring into immediate profit those valuable resources, which have lain too long neglected, though possessing capabilities enough to procure true wealth and independence.Coote also says on page 125:Descending towards Ballyconnell, the prospect improves, where Mr. Sneyd's plantations, at Bawnboy, give the country a warmer and more comfortable appearance, but the roads in this country are terribly bad indeed.And on page 138:The plantations are but few; Mr. Sneyd's, of Bawnboy, are contiguous to the small village of the same name, rank foremost amongst those, and his demesne shews a judicious management.The Mr. Sneyd referred to was Nathaniel Sneyd, a Member of Parliament for County Cavan from 1800 to 1826 and married to a Miss Montgomery of Ballyconnell.

Leydons Coaches operate route 930 linking the village to Ballyconnell, Belturbet, Cavan, Swanlinbar and Enniskillen.