What is recorded here

Old Tower stood six metres tall on the steep Awbeg River valley edge until a storm collapsed it into a limestone mound around 1985. Built as a belvedere beside Rockvale House, it offered a wide view and perhaps a private stage for human life, though no one is certain whether it also held dead birds or living memories. Its stones still mark the valley rim, waiting for someone to climb the rubble and remember what the tower saw.

Rubble mound of collapsed circular tower, atop steep E side of Awbeg River valley, immediately W of Rockvale House. Tower collapsed after storm c. 1985, leaving mound of limestone rubble (H c. 1.5m; diam. c. 5m). Photograph (CAS, 1984) shows tower (H c. 6m) built of random-rubble limestone, with large 1st-floor window, topped by projecting stones cornice. According to owner, it was 3-storey over basement with door ope to E. Grove White (1905-25, vol. 4, 183) refers to tower as a columbarium; photograph (ibid. opp. 183) taken in 1906 shows circular tower, unroofed, with lintelled ground-floor door. However, present owner does not recall any nesting boxes within tower. Rockvale House, of mid-19th-century appearance; front elevation (N) is 3-bay, 2-storey with Wyatt windows; gable-ended, chimneys on gables; according to owner, replaced earlier house, some walls of which survive on W side of present house. Remains of stone-built tea house (14958) c. 400m to S. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

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