Neale, County Mayo - Follies and Monuments

Follies and Monuments

The Pyramid of The Neale is an example of a folly. A folly was building that served no purpose and there are five main types: Temples, Pillars, Grottos, and Small Castles. This step pyramid was built around 1760 and is a 30 foot structure rising from a series of steps from the base nearly 40 feet in width. The present John Kilmaine in Alcester, England gave us the following information: "It is said that the pyramid is constructed on the old tumulus. The building of the pyramid is attributed to Sir John Browne the 7th Baronet and 1st Baron of Kilmaine, in memory of his brother, Sir George Browne. The structure, which at one time was crowned by a lead figure of Apollo, was designed by the Earl of Charlemont for his brother in law, Sir John Browne, The Neale". There are a few varying stories of the building of the Pyramid. One such story is that Lord Kilmaine was anxious to find a way of relieving the extreme poverty of his tenants in the post famine years, so he eemployed several men to pick up the stones around the estate.He had those stones piled up and built into a pyramid. This provided the poor people with a little additional income. In the later years a wind-vane adorned the top of the pyramid, so the landlord could indulge in his passion for meteorology and the recording of weather systems over a pereiod of 30 years. The Office of Public Works refurbishedthe Pyramid in 1990.

Temple Monument It was in the 18th century that the Penal Laws were enforced and the great houses and estates of the landlords were built . The Neale estate was aproximately 400 acres, and was surrounded by a high double wall. Inside the wall, the landlord built a number of unusual monuments or follies. The Temple is an unfinished temple of carved stone. It was the last folly to be built in 1865 by John Browne, Baron of Kilmaine in honour of his first title Lord Mount Temple. It is hexagonal and has 6 plain Doric columns, at one time it had a timber roof. The base of the Temple, with the arches. Dates from an earlier time and it is probable that the columns were replaced on top of the old structure to give it elevation. The Temple was used by the ladies of the Big House for family meetings, knitting and relaxing. In addition to relaxing at the Temple, the ladies also walked "The Cavendish Walks", both inside and outside the estate.

Gods Of The NealeAbout 200 yards east of The Neale village, inside the old demesne wall and close to the ruins of Lord Kilmaine's house, is a stone monument that is known as The Gods of The Neale. A collection of stone slabs with carvings of three mythical figures, a griffin, a unicorn and an angel is enshrined in a stone structure. The inscription refers to the sculptured figures as Deithe Feile, Diana Ffeale, and The Gods of The Neale, from which The Neale gets its name. Among other mythological characters mentioned in the inscription is Loo Lave Adda (Lú Lamhfhada) whose hand is reputed to be buried under a nearby "Long Stone".

The Long Stone The Lia Lugha (Stone of Lu) is said to mark the burial place of Lugh Lamhfhada (Lu of the Long Hand) who was slain in the Battle of Moyturna. Lu was the son of Nuadha, King of the Tuatha De Danann. The stone is at the fork of the roads from Cross and from Cong, south of the Neale village. It is known locally as the Long Stone