Pigeon House, dovecote in County Kilkenny (KK013-052----)

On a W-facing slope on the E side of the Arigna river valley and within the landscaped demesne of Wellbrook House which is c. 160m to the SW. The medieval church (KK013-051001-) and graveyard (KK013-051002-) of Clashacrow are located c. 190m to the SW. Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 264) refers to a mention of this dovecote in an Inquisition of 1609 relating to buildings in Richard Shee’s manor of Glashcro (i.e. Clashacrow), which were seized at the time of his death in August 1608. A slightly barrel-shaped circular stone structure (H c. 5.2m; ext. diam. c. 6.4m; int. diam. 4.24m) of roughly coursed rubble (wall T 0.97m) with a corbelled roof. There is a string-course around the base of the roof (H above ext. ground level 3.6m) and another around the middle of the roof (H above ext. ground level c. 4.5m). Birds accessed the interior via a flat-headed opening (H c. 1.3m; Wth c. 0.62m; c. 2m above int. ground level) near the top of the S-facing portion of wall and exited via a deliberate circular hole at the apex of the corbelled roof. At ground level there is a flat-headed doorway (H 1.89m; Wth 0.78m) facing W. The interior is lined with nesting boxes (H 0.2m; Wth 0.2m; D 0.36m), though most above c. 2m have collapsed. See attached photographs: KK013-052----_01 General view from SW KK013-052----_02 Exterior from SW KK013-052----_03 Exterior from E KK013-052----_04 Exterior from S KK013-052----_05 Interior SW KK013-052----_06 Detail of nesting boxes KK013-052----_07 Interior with corbelled roof KK013-052----_08 Interior – window facing SW Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 13 September 2022