Dovecote

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, 100m SW of the Augustinian nunnery of Monasternagalliaghduff (LI019-026009-) and 45m W of a megalithic structure (LI019-026011-), with stream immediately to N. On the grounds of the former Old Abbey House which stands 140m to N, orchard and fish ponds (LI019-026006-) in field to N of dovecote. Ringfort (LI019-028----) 145m to S. Annotated ‘Tower’ on both the 1840 OS 6-inch map and the 1897 OS 25-inch map, where it is depicted as a circular structure (approx. diam. 7m). The dovecote was described by Westropp as ‘the convent pigeon-house. It is an interesting little building, like the base of a round tower. It is circular, and 13 feet 6 inches [4.1m] in internal diameter, shelf to shelf, or 17 feet [5.2m] from wall to wall; the walls 2 feet 8 inches [0.8m] thick and 10 feet [3m] high to the spring of the domed roof, which is formed by corbelling, with a large circular ope and two external cornices. There is a low square door to the west, 3 feet 7 inches [1.1m] high and 2 feet 10 inches [0.86m] wide. The outer face destroyed. Inside were eight rows of stone recesses for the doves; they are 13 inches [0.33m] deep, and about twenty-eight [0.7m] to each ring. The greater number are now destroyed, probably by cattle, which can enter the structure through a large break in the east. It is 18 feet [5.5m] high in all' (Wardell 1904, 64). The dovecote is clearly visible on Google Earth Orthoimage taken 08/04/2015.

See attached section of building and Google Earth orthoimages

Compiled by: Martin Fitzpatrick

Date of upload: 13 July 2020

References

Wardell, J. 1904 The history and antiquities of St. Catherine's Old Abbey, Co. Limerick. The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland XIV, 41-64.