Ballysaggartmore Towers - A Victorian Bridge Folly, Near Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland
When Arthur Kiely returned from the Napoleonic Wars in 1808 following the death of his father in County Waterford, he found his older brother building a castle at Strancally on the Blackwater River. Not one to be outdone, Arthur first changed his name to Kiely-Ussher, then started work on his inheritance at Ballysaggartmore. No expense was spared in the construction of the gatehouse and bridge on the carriage drive to the planned mansion. But the Great Famine intervened, tenants were unable to pay their rent, Kiely-Ussher's income fell, families were evicted and their homes demolished leaving them homeless. His cruel behaviour so inflamed opinion in the district that an attempt was made to shoot him as he entered the estate through the gates of his smart new lodge. His would-be assassin fled and a reward of £100 was offered; seven men were tried, found guilty and deported to Tasmania. The tyrant's fortunes never recovered, the house was sold in 1861, Kiely-Ussher died shortly afterwards, and the towers and Kiely-Ussher’s dreams were left to nature. This imageof the bridge appears in "Irish Follies and Whimsical Architecture" by George Munday and published by O'Brien Press in Dublin.
Size: 5625px × 3679px
Location: Ballysaggartmore Towers, Near Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland
Photo credit: © George Munday / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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