Tower

In flat pasture, to the SE of Ballybeg Augustinian Priory church. This circular columbarium (CO017-059003-; int. diam. 4.6m) is entered via a ground-floor door on the W side. The Interior wall face has continuous rows of nesting boxes (Wth 0.22m; H 0.2m; 32 boxes in each circuit), in 11 tiers up to a height of c. 5m (see plan and section in Brash 1852b, 266-7). Above this, the wall inclines gently inward for a height of c. 2m, above which it is corbelled in steeply, leaving a circular opening at the top. High up on the exterior wall face on the N side is a lintelled door giving access to mural stairs leading to the top of the tower, possibly to a wall-walk. Section of projecting masonry to the E of the door indicates the wall extending N from the columbarium, probably with a wall-walk, from which the door was accessed. This is a National Monument in State Guardianship (no. 301). 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. Photographs attached: CO017-059003-_01: View of columbarium from NW. CO017-059003-_02: Interior of columbarium, from W. CO017-059003-_03: View of from W, with ground-floor door. CO017-059003-_04: View from N, with lintelled door at top of tower. CO017-059003-_05: View from SE, with priory in the background. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009