School: An Bhlárna (C.)
- Location:
- Blarney, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Winifred Scantlebury
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0349, Page 144
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- The Round Tower of Waterloo was built in the year 1845 by the Rev. F'r Matt Horgan. Started in the year 1836 it took nine years to complete, helped by farmers who took it in turns to give him men and horses. Its style is that of the famous old Round Towers of Ireland. It has seven storeys or lofts and stands eighty feet high. There is a bell on top, the bell being tolled every Sunday to call the people to Mass in the Church which is only a few feet away. The late Bellman got sixpence per week for ringing the bell. The present toller (Mr. Meany) does the job for free. The job is no easy one, Because in order to get to the bell, one must climb a ladder, go through a trapdoor, pull the ladder through also, and again climb.
The foundation was a gift to the parish by the landlord at the time, named Putland. Waterloo Bridge after him, and to the present day, is called Putland Bridge on the Ordinance Maps. Some people say that the reason the Tower was built was to prevent "body-snatching" which was very prevalent in Ireland at the time. Fr. Horgan was responsible for the building of Whitechurch(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Betty Horgan
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- Eugene Horgan
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Blarney, Co. Cork
