Telegraph in ruins — Inis Oírr

Situated at the northern edge of the summit of the large flat-topped hill which dominates the centre or the island of Inisheer\Inis Oírr (65m OD). Located on flat ground with moderate slopes to the immediate N and NW that lead down to the main settlement and harbour on the N side of the island. A steeply-sided valley is located a short distance (c. 160m) to the W. The local area consists of small irregularly-shaped fields defined by tall drystone walls containing either rough pasture or exposed limestone\karst pavement. The signal tower has unobstructed views in all directions except to the SW. Signal tower located c. 580m S of the coastline at its closest point. The well-preserved signal towers at Inishmore\Inis Mór (GA120-016----), located c. 14.3kms to the NW, and at Hag’s Head (CL014-010001-), located c. 13.5kms to the SSE, at the SW end of the Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, are both clearly visible during good weather. Signal tower on Inisheer\Inis Oírr located c. 143m S\SSW of Dún Formna (GA120-017001-,) an impressive oval-shaped cashel with a medieval castle (GA120-17002-) to its interior, and c. 513m SW of St. Cavan's Church\Teampall Chaomháin (GA120-007001-). An early nineteenth-century (c. 1804-06) two-storey square-plan signal tower, built with roughly coursed limestone rubble (int. dims. 4.27m NE-SW x 4.27m NW-SE; wall H 11.4m). The entire exterior is covered in lime render bearing the impression of weather-proof slate cladding. The upper part of the NE wall has an area of intact slate cladding remaining insitu. The square-headed doorway is located on the first floor of the SW wall and would have been originally accessed via a retractable ladder. This doorway retains the upper portion of the original cut limestone block-and-start surround and lintel with keystone. The doorway is protected by a rectangular machicolation over supported by three rendered cut stone corbels. Square bartizans are located on the N and E corners, each supported by three rendered cut stone corbels. The NW and SE walls each feature two square-headed window openings at both ground floor and first floor level. The first floor window openings retain their original cut limestone block-and-start surrounds but the lower portions and sills to the NW elevation have been removed. A crude opening has been knocked through the NE wall to create a ground level entrance. The NE elevation bows out slightly across its whole width to create additional space in which to house the chimney flue. The internal space consisted of a semi-basement level, which is almost entirely infilled with soil, a ground floor room with a split mezzanine level, a first floor room, and a low attic level. The flat roof had been accessible from the attic level, and a parapet wall had protected the edge of the roof and connected to the bartizans and the machicolations. The floors and the roof of the building had been wooden and were carried in the thickness of the wall. No parts of the floors or the roof have survived, but rows of joist holes indicate their former positions. The internal walls are covered in a layer of smooth render. The NE wall features centrally positioned square-headed fireplaces at ground and first floor levels flanked to either side by large deep square-headed alcoves. The fireplace and the alcoves on the ground-floor have been heavily damaged when the ground floor entrance was knocked through the NE wall. A square-sectioned internal drainage channel runs down the N corner of the building. This is believed to have brought rainwater from the roof to storage barrels in the semi-basement. The signal tower is located within the NE portion of a rectangular enclosure defined by a mortared rubble stone wall (int. dims. 52m NE-SW x 30m NW-SE; wall T 2.3m). The current entrance to the enclosure is through a gate at the N corner. This is likely a secondary alteration although the position of the original entrance has not been located. Within the enclosure there are three additional structures. A mid-or-late nineteenth-century two-room single-storey rendered rubble stone national school, now roofless, with a double gale-fronted porch to the front elevation (NE) and with a tall red brick chimneystack rising from a central dividing wall, is located 13m SW of the signal tower. This is indicated as ‘Inisheer National School’ on the Ordnance Survey third edition six-inch map (c. 1910). A small rectangular rendered rubble stone building is constructed against the SW wall of the enclosure with entrances on the short NW and SE sides. The building is thought to be a toilet block associated with the schoolhouse. The remains of a wall can be seen running from the middle of the rear wall of the schoolhouse to the middle of the front wall of the toilet block suggesting the area to the SW of the schoolhouse had been divided into two separate playgrounds, each with access to one side of the toilet building. A large modern rectangular water tank is located in the E corner of the enclosure, immediately adjacent to the signal tower. A large modern circular water tank is located immediately outside the enclosure, S of the rectangular water tank. 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: 13/07/22 Images: GA120-016----.01 NW exterior GA120-016----.02 NW exterior 2 GA120-016----.03 NE exterior GA120-016----.04 SE exterior GA120-016----.05 SW exterior GA120-016----.06 SW exterior 2 GA120-016----.07 Site overview from the NW GA120-016----.08 Site overview from the NW GA120-016----.09 NW interior GA120-016----.10 NW interior 2 GA120-016----.11 NE interior GA120-016----.12 NE interior 2 GA120-016----.13 SE interior GA120-016----.14 SE interior 2 GA120-016----.15 SE interior 3 GA120-016----.16 SW interior GA120-016----.17 SW interior 2 GA120-016----.18 NW exterior drawing GA120-016----.19 NE exterior drawing GA120-016----.20 SE exterior drawing GA120-016----.21 SW exterior drawing GA120-016----.22 NW interior drawing GA120-016----.23 NE interior drawing GA120-016----.24 SE interior drawing GA120-016----.25 SW interior drawing GA120-016----.26 Plan of site GA120-016----.27 View of national school to the SW; NE elevation GA120-016----.28 Toilet block to the SW of enclosure; view of NE elevation GA120-016----.29 NW elevation of toilet block GA120-016----.30 S corner of enclosure wall