Ireland's 'grandest folly' restored after Eur700,000 project

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Archiseek / Ireland / News / 2004 / October 26 2004: Ireland's 'grandest folly' restored after Eur700,000 project

The Browne-Clayton monument in Carrickbyrne, Co Wexford - described by architectural historians as Ireland's grandest folly - has been fully restored with support from the World Monuments Fund and Wexford County Council. The 95 ft (29 metre) granite column, a local landmark visible for miles around, had been in "severe danger of collapse" after being struck by lightning in December 1994. It is located off the N25 roughly half-way between Wexford and New Ross. The only commemorative column of its kind with an internal stairway - as Nelson's Pillar had in Dublin - cost nearly €700,000 to restore over the past two years. This included a meticulous piecing together of its Corinthian capital, which alone weighs 32 tonnes.

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