Newbawn in the Irish language is Bábhun Nua. Nua means 'new'. A bábhun is literally a walled enclosure. Often, this is applied to the wall that encloses the yard surrounding a castle, though this may or may not be the meaning here. It can also mean an enclosure for cows.[2]
History
There is a poorly preserved Portal tomb (sometimes called a Dolmen) located at Collopswell, near Newbawn,[3] which dates from the Neolithic period.
The area was controlled by the Devereux family of Adamstown and Ballymagir[4] for hundreds of years soon after the arrival of the Normans (1169). They acquired the area from the de Headon family[5] in the late 13th century. Newbawn was part of the 'Manor of Colpe', which in 1669 was granted to Robert Leigh of Rosegarland.[6]
After this time, and particularly throughout the 18th century, a family named Sweetman were very prominent in the Newbawn area.[citation needed]
