Wicklow & Kildare
Friday 23 October
Castletown Conolly, Celbridge (N978342) is a large, cold house. The large dining-room has a devil-cracked mirror and hearthstone. There is a cantilevered stone stairway with a balustrade of brass columns and a unique print-room. From the splendid long gallery on the first floor can be seen, at about 3km distance, Conolly`s Folly, an obelisk raised on arches. It was built by Speaker Conolly's widow about 1740. The house is three storeys high over a basement. It has a 13 bay front flanked by curving Ionic colonnades and two-storey 7 bay wings. It was begun in 1722 and designed partly by Sir Edward Lovett Pearce.
Saturday 24 October
In the graveyard near Newabbey House (N847093), to the east of Kilcullen, is a very fine 15th century double effigy of Roland Eustace and his wife. Built into the wall of the ruined abbey are some weeper panels and other carved stones which are possibly part of the same tomb. The weepers include St Catherine and St Michael.
In the graveyard at Old Kilcullen (N829070) is the stump of a Round Tower. It is about 10m high and has a round-headed doorway. Beside it is part of the shaft of a decorated High Cross. On the east face are the Twelve Apostles in three groups. One of the panels on the west face possibly depicts the Flight into Egypt. Nearby is the plain shaft of another cross and also a base. There is also the low ruin of a nave and chancel church.
At Timolin the former pewter mill was visited (S802932). It has a rare double turbine which is no longer in operation. Inside the mill is a fine collection of moulds for pewter dishes. There is evidence that this was originally a corn mill. In the grounds of the nearby church is a much overgrown tomb chest.
The High Cross at Moone (S790937) is over 5m high and depicts many biblical scenes. These include Daniel in the Lions' Den, the Sacrifice of Isaac, Adam & Eve, the Multiplication of the Loaves & Fishes, the Flight into Egypt, the Three Children in the Fiery Furnace. Other panels show spirals, angels, beasts and St Anthony & St Paul. Nearby is a ruined church and fragments of another cross.
At Castledermott (S783850) there are two High Crosses which show many of the scenes depicted at Moone. They stand in a churchyard which also contains a rebuilt Romanesque doorway and a 20m high Round Tower with a castellated top. There are also some cross-inscribed stones and at least two perforated stones.
Near the south end of the town the ruins of the Franciscan friary (S782848) consist of a rectangular church with a north transept. There is a residential tower attached to the south wall and a north aisle arcade. The north transept has some east chapels. Within one of these is a tomb-chest with, on the lid, a double skeletal image, one within a shroud. There is also a good bullaun stone.
The ruins of Baltinglass Cistercian Abbey (S868890) consist mainly of a rectangular church with traces of north and south transepts which had east chapels. The capitals of the pillars of the south aisle arcade show interesting carving. There is also the base of a decorated north doorway and a portion of the cloister arcade has been reconstructed. A 19th century church tower occupies a central position in the nave.
Castleruddery Stone Circle (S916941) is about 30m diameter and is surrounded by a bank. Two large quartz boulders at the eastern, edge mark the apparent entrance. A short distance away (S905947) is a good rath platform surrounded by a substantial ditch.
Athgreany Stone Circle (N930032) or the Piper's Stones is also about 30m diameter but is much less complete than the Castleruddery circle. There are fewer stones and they are generally smaller. There is no surrounding bank.
The castle at Threecastles (0010156) appears to be the eastern portion of a Tower House. The door is locked and the stairs were probably in the missing portion. There is a projecting tower at the NE corner.
Sunday 25 October
At Eadestown (N951179) is an interesting fountain. It was erected in 1899 to the memory of Captain Tickell by his tenants. The fountain was designed for drinking at three levels. The lion-head spouts were presumably for humans, the circular trough for horses and the quarter-circle dishes at ground level were for hounds.
The standing stone near Punchestown Racecourse (N917164) was viewed from the roadside. It is about 6m high and tapering.
The mill at Morristown Lattin (N842196) is an L-shaped building four storeys high. Each arm of the building is four bays long. The metal skeleton of a wide undershot wheel may be seen.
A tower-house in Kildare (N727124) was viewed from the outside. It is inhabited and the windows are modern insertions. The cathedral is being repaired at present. Beside it is a plain High Cross and a good Round Tower with a decorated Romanesque doorway. The building in the square (N726125), looking like a small market house is a water-tower. There appears to be two tanks and the float indicators can be seen on the outside.
At Monasterevin (N620106) the Grand Canal is carried over the River Barrow by a fine aqueduct. Beside this the road crosses the canal by a drawbridge and a short distance upstream the railway crosses, both canal and river. Further upstream a road bridge crosses the river and downstream is a lock and bridge. Beside the drawbridge is a small basin with a canal hotel and warehouses.
Russborough House (N957110) has a very fine collection of paintings and some magnificent plaster work. It was begun in 1741 and designed by Richard Castle.
Monday 26 October
The central block of Russborough House is two storeys high over a basement. It is seven bays long. It is joined by curving Doric colonnades to two-storey seven-bay wings attached to outbuildings by walls with rusticated arches surmounted by cupolas.
At Glendalough St Saviour's Priory (T133963) is a nave and chancel church with some attached buildings.
The east window of the church and the chancel arch have fine Romanesque decoration including animal and human masks and geometric patterns. At Glendalough are the remains of several other churches, cashels, bullaun-stones, crosses and a very fine Round Tower.
TOURS