Dovecote

The National Monuments Service's description

On a steep E-facing slope, in an area of unused ground between a drystone field boundary and a recently erected farm building (5m to S). A rectangular gable-ended structure (4.2m NE-SW; 3.95m NW-SE; wall T 0.7m) built of uncoursed limestone rubble in lime mortar. A ground-floor doorway, at the SE end of the NE wall, gives access to a barrel-vaulted chamber without windows. There is a small lintelled ope in the SE wall at first-floor level; access to this area was not gained but at least four tiers of nesting-boxes are visible. Projecting from the centre of the NW wall is a flat stone directly above which is a small opening in the wall; this must have been the entry point for pigeons accessing the loft. This structure is presumably associated with Ballynaglogh church (SL033-140001-) 40m to the ENE.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008