This was the second time we were driving through Ballyhale (the first time was on May 29th, 2010) and the second time that we stopped to see this tower, so this time I decided to take some more information about it.
It's a tower adjoining a quite modern church. The tower has a crenellated top and on the roof there's a bell, visible only from a certain distance, so the tower is used as a belfry for the church, but one century ago it was referred to as "The Castle", so probably it was a fortified house before it became part of the church.
It measures about 5 metres by 6.50 metres and has a nice doorway on its northwest (310°) side with a holy water font on the outside. Some metres above this doorway there's a blocked nice window and right below it there's a slab with the carving of what it seems a coat of arms. Three two-light windows are at the top floor on each side. Other slit windows are on all walls of the tower.
What hit my eyes during the visit at the graveyard 3 years ago was that a great number of burials were of persons died at the age of 22.
The Little Arrigle River runs next to the churchyard around the tower and its church, and a nice old bridge completes the setting.
|