Tower — Rathlee

Situated on level ground within the modern dispersed rural settlement of Rathlee (29mOD), and approximately c. 820m ESE of the coastline at its nearest point. Located within enclosed pasture with a minor road to the S. The site has unobstructed views in all directions. Creevagh Signal Tower, Mayo (MA007-015002-), located c. 15.7kms to the WNW, has been demolished and can no longer be seen from the site. The view to the ruinous Lenadoon Point Signal Tower (SL010-001002-), located c. 1.7kms to the NNW, is blocked by intervening buildings; and the view to the well-preserved Carrowmably\Carrowmabla Signal Tower (SL012-008003-), located c. 10.6kms to the ENE, is blocked by intervening forestry. An undated kitchen midden (SL011-025002-) is located 13.5m NE of the signal tower at Rathlee, and the site of a possible souterrain (SL011-096----) is located c. 38m to the NW. An early nineteenth-century (c. 1804-6) two-storey square-plan signal tower, built with roughly coursed rubble stone masonry (int. dims. 4.28m N-S x 4.28m E-W; H. c. 11.9m). Extensive sections of roughcast lime render survive to the exterior elevations, particularly to the N, W and E elevations. The N wall features the first floor doorway that would have been accessed via a retractable ladder. This doorway retains a fine cut stone block-and-start surround, cut stone lintel over with central projecting keystone, and a cut stone threshold\sill. A narrow but well-preserved rectangular machicolation is present above the doorway, supported by five small rendered corbels. A row of four small square holes runs across the wall below the doorway at ground floor level, which may be putlog holes used to support scaffolding during the construction of the tower. The two holes in the middle of the N wall are set slightly lower than the outer two holes. Only the inner pair of holes pass through the body of the wall. The E and W walls feature pairs of square-headed windows (with splayed reveals) to the ground floor and first floor levels. The windows to the W elevation at first floor level retain cut stone block-and-start surrounds, cut stone lintels over with central projecting keystones, and cut stone sills, which are now missing to the other window openings. The N ground floor window on the W wall has been opened up to act as a ground level entrance to the structure. The opening has spread northwards and the NE corner of the building is missing from ground level up to the top of the window opening. The S wall bows slightly outwards to house the chimney flue. An intact chimneystack extends from the top of the S wall\parapet, which retains cut stone coping over. There are numerous shallow holes in the S wall, distributed without an obvious pattern. They resemble putlog holes, but may have had a different purpose. Two of the holes pass through the wall and mirror the position of the two central holes on the N wall. Rounded rendered rubble stone bartizans are located on the SE and SW corners of the signal tower, supported by rounded rubble stonework corbels. In the centre of the S wall there is a modern grey incised stone plaque that reads ‘Rathlee Signalling Tower. In memory of those who worked here and all who perished at sea. 2nd July 2006.’ To the right of this is an older white stone [marble] sign that reads ‘Ruin of O’Dowd castle Lochtar Rath a seat of Kings of Tirerach.’ To the right of the white sign there is a large dressed stone block incorporated into the body of the wall. The stone block features a small square hole in its centre. Behind the hole there is a heavy metal sphere that appears to be a small cannon ball, secured in place by a solidly-anchored horizontal metal bar. The painted words ‘Castle Cannon Ball’ are faintly visible on the stone block. It is not thought that any of the signal towers were ever equipped with cannon, so the origin of this object is unclear. The internal space consists of a semi-basement level, 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 first floor level, and a rubble stone parapet wall protects the edge of the roof and connects to the bartizans and the machicolation. No evidence of surviving coping to the parapet wall. 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 interior walls feature large sections of surviving lime render. The semi-basement is largely infilled with soil, and is only exposed at the NW corner of the signal tower. The S wall features central square-headed fireplaces at ground and first floors, each with flanking square-headed alcoves. The ground floor alcoves retain thick layers of render. In the W alcove the impression of four thick shelves are visible in the render. In the E alcove the impression of two shelves are visible at the top of the alcove. A rubble stone seat\plinth with a curved back protruding into the body of the wall occupies the lower part of the east alcove. The two square holes that pass through the central part of the S wall emerge to either side of the top of the fireplace. These holes line up with the two holes that pass through the N wall. The arrangement suggests that two large wooden beams passed through the ground floor room, possibly introduced as a stabilisation measure. A well-preserved World War II-era lookout lost (L.O.P. 65) is located 4.9m N of the signal tower. A concrete trigonometry pillar is located 3.3m E of the signal tower. A small lime kiln, which was possibly used during the construction of the tower, is located in a bank 15m to the N of the signal tower. Modern stone walls, paved courtyard opening to roadway to S, and timber seating to S. 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 10\11\21 Images: SL011-025001-.01 N exterior SL011-025001-.02 N exterior, detail of doorway SL011-025001-.03 S exterior SL011-025001-.04 E exterior SL011-025001-.05 W exterior 1 SL011-025001-.06 W exterior 2 SL011-025001-.07 W exterior 3 SL011-025001-.08 SE exterior oblique view SL011-025001-.09 SW exterior oblique view SL011-025001-.10 Cannon ball insitu to S elevation SL011-025001-.11 Modern plaque to S elevation SL011-025001-.12 Plaque to S elevation SL011-025001-.13 Stone block with painted plaque to S elevation SL011-025001-.14 S interior 1 SL011-025001-.15 S interior 2 SL011-025001-.16 S interior 3 SL011-025001-.17 E interior 1 SL011-025001-.18 E interior 2 SL011-025001-.19 E interior 3 SL011-025001-.20 N interior 1 SL011-025001-.21 N interior 2 SL011-025001-.22 N interior 3 SL011-025001-.23 W interior 1 SL011-025001-.24 W interior 2 SL011-025001-.25 W interior 3 SL011-025001-.26 NW interior oblique SL011-025001-.27 SW interior oblique SL011-025001-.28 N exterior drawing SL011-025001-.29 E exterior drawing SL011-025001-.30 S exterior drawing SL011-025001-.31 W exterior drawing SL011-025001-.32 N interior drawing SL011-025001-.33 E interior drawing SL011-025001-.34 S interior drawing SL011-025001-.35 W interior drawing SL011-025001-.36 Plan of site SL011-025001-.37 Lookout post to the N, view from SE SL011-025001-.38 Concrete trigonometr