Old Watch Tower — Point (dunkineely Ed)

Situated on low-lying ground (26m OD) towards the end of St John’s Point peninsula. Located on undulating and slightly sloping ground. The surrounding area consists of unenclosed pasture. A paved road that connects to the lighthouse (NIAH Reg. No. 40909717), located at the end of the peninsula (c. 260m to the WSW), passes about 30m N of the site. The site has unobstructed views in all directions. The adjacent signal tower, Killcologue Point Signal Tower (SL002-062----), located c. 11.3kms to the S, has been demolished and is no longer visible from the site; the signal tower at Carrigan Head (DG096-046----), located c. 16.7kms to the NW\WNW, is well preserved, and is visible from this site during good weather. The probable site of this former signal tower is located c. 100m SW of a conical mound, which is the location of a possible prehistoric cairn (DG097A005----). St John’s Point Signal Tower has been demolished. The remains of a rectangular enclosure (ext. dims c. 26m NE-SW x c. 17.5m SE-NW), and the possible foundations of the signal tower, are visible in the location where the First Edition Ordnance Survey six-inch map (c. 1837) is marked ‘old watchtower’. The rectangular enclosure is defined by a low, grassed-over, collapsed rubble stone wall. Rubble stone from the enclosing wall are sporadically visible along the grassy bank. It has been suggested that this enclosure is the remains of an old graveyard or possibly the site of an ecclesisastical site known as 'Teach Eoin' (Conaghan 1977, 58-9). However there is no surface evidence to suggest that this structure is pre-1700 in date. To the immediate SW of the enclosure there is a roughly square-shaped depression (ext. dims c. 9.7m NE-SW and c. 9.9m SE-NW). It is probable that this depression marks the semi-basement level remains of the signal tower. A well-preserved World War II era lookout post (LOP. 70; NIAH Reg. No. 40909729) is located c. 112m NE\ENE of the probable site of the signal tower. A lighthouse complex, consisting of a roughly rectangular enclosure (ext. dims. c. 106m SW-NE and c. 95m SE-NW) defined by rubble stone walls containing a lighthouse (NIAH Reg. No. 40909717) to the SW and lighthouse keepers’ dwellings (NIAH Reg. No. 40909718) to the NE, is located approximately 260m WSW of the signal tower. Masonry from the former signal tower may have been used in the construction of the lighthouse keepers’ dwellings and\or the enclosing boundary wall and internal subdividing walls. Approximately 180m SW of the lighthouse are the overgrown remains of a ‘Eire 70’ sign, positioned at the tip of the peninsula, which also dates to the World War two era, and is associated with the former lookout post. The signal tower was part of a system of over 80 signal stations constructed by the British Board of Ordnance in the first decade of the 19th century to warn of the approach of a French invasion fleet. Signalling between sites was accomplished using a naval signal post. The system formed a continuous chain from Dublin Bay running clockwise all the way around the coast to Malin Head in County Donegal. It was abandoned by the mid-1810s when the threat of a French invasion diminished (Kerrigan 1995, 157-66). Compiled by: Stuart Rathbone Uploaded on: 26/10/21 Images: DG097A020----.01.jpg View of probable site of signal tower from the SW DG097A020---- 02.jpg View of enclosure from the NE DG097A020----.03.jpg View of lighthouse from the E DG097A020----.04.jpg View of lookout post to the NE\ENE; view from the SW