Survey Data
Reg No
31312104
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Archaeological, Architectural, Artistic
Original Use
Folly
In Use As
Folly
Date
1750 - 1755
Coordinates
118935, 258905
Date Recorded
12/01/2011
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding folly, dated 1753; extant 1782. Set in woodland in grounds shared with Neale House.
Appraisal
A beguiling folly widely regarded as an intriguing component of the eighteenth-century built heritage of south County Mayo [National Monument 0359]: the inscription, 'so nonsensical and complicated that one must reach the conclusion…that the entire object is merely the product of the peculiar humour of some former Lord Kilmaine' (ITA 1945), reads: "The Irish Characters On The Above Stone Import/That In This Cave We Have By Us The Gods Of/Cons Bordtieiss Lett Us Follow Their Stepps Sick/Of Love With Full Confidenc In Loo Lave Adda/Yackene The Shepherd Of Ireland Of His Eraan Di/These Images Were Found In A Cave Behind The Place They/Now Stand And Were The Ancient Gods Of The Neale Which Took Its/Name From Them They Were Called Diane Ffeale Or The Gods/Of Felicity From Which The Place In Irish Was Called Ne Heale/In English The Neale LL Reignd AM 2577 PD 927 Ante c1496 And/Was Then 60 Œdna Reignd AM 2994 And 64 Of Edna Was ???? Con Moil Was Ye Son Of Heber Who/Divided This Kingdom With His Brother And Had The/Western Parts Of This Island For His Lott All Which Was/Originally Called From Con Conought Or Cons Portion/And His Son Loo Laveadda Who Founded The Druids Was/Thought To Have Drawn All His Knowledge From The Sun/Thus The Irish History NB The Smaller Letters On The Upper/Part Of The Great Plinth Import That It Was Erected By Edna/Loos Gods Were Adopted By Con And Edna Of The Line Of Heber Established/Their Worship Here/1753".