Emily Coughlan

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East Facing Wall

This is a Tower House constructed in 1436. It is an early example of a Tower House with no decorative features on the outside. The surrounding area has a sandstone environment with valleys and ridges running in east-west direction. There are five levels based on the windows on the east side. The main source of light in this building would be the windows, east facing for maximum sunlight. The number of windows on this side can also be explained by the need to light the stairway. It is built on a natural elevated bedrock surface, to add more natural defence. In the north-east corner there are the remains of a bartizan which also would have been used for defence purposes as well as practical purposes.

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South Facing Wall

The south facing wall shows a garda robe, which is low on this site compared to others of the same period. There is a feature under the highest window of a drip stone. There is a small hole in the great hall and a protruding platform outside to allow mess to be swept out without staining the side of the tower house. This would allow for drainage in the great hall. The largest windows are those at the top around the great hall, due to there being less defence concerns and to allow more light. The tower house is widened at the base to add structural integrity and thicken the wall for defence reasons.

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St. Gobnait’s Well

The site is associated with St Gobnait, the patron saint of bees and deer. Gobnait was a 6th century saint who established her own convent in Ballyvourney. Legend states that an angel told her where she needed to find nine white deer and she found them at a place that was then named after her, St Gobnait’s Wood. There is a towering limestone statue of St. Gobnait that looks over the church and graveyard that was commissioned in 1951. The site is physically separated by the church and graveyard by a active road. On this site there are many motifs of bears and deer, including on the pedestal the statue stands on.

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St Gobnait’s Church and Graveyard.

The site consists of a church, its surrounding graveyard and a protestant church. The church is situated in an east-west direction. The graveyard remains active. The oldest graves are situated north of Teampall Ghobnatan. The church is believed to be built on the site of St Gobnait’s convent. Inside the site consist of graves, a naval and a chancel. It also consists of a modern high cross that pictures St. Gobnait in the background.

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Clapper bridges are ancient bridges. It is thought that they have Anglo-Norman origins, but nothing has been confirmed. It is located at Rahoonagh West. The Bridge consists of foundation stones supporting 11 long slabs that form a bridge structure. There are very few remaining clapper bridges in Ireland, however, Cork has a large distribution of them; totally 6. Many of past structures would have been lost in flooding and due to not being properly maintained. This site was recently constructed by a local archaeologist.