School: St Theresa's, Coachford (roll number 14022)

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1. Leader's Buildings (continued)

   

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   both side above. To overcome this difficulty he thought of a plan. He got his men to build some huge pillars in a line across the valley. He thought that by placing a wooden trough across the tops of these pillars he could bring water through a canal from a high part of the river basin and get it to flow along the trough and thus irrigate the land on the other side of the valley.
   He succeeded in building over a dozen huge pillars varying from 80 to 100 ft high across the valley. These are of solid stone masonry still standing almost intact. On the top of each of these a recess was made through which a huge wooden trough ran. About midway on these pillars there were more spaces through which another trough was placed, to carry water to land on a lower level. For some years this irrigation scheme succeeded. Then the troughs began to leak in places acting like spring showers on the valley below. After some time the owner abandoned the scheme, the troughs became neglected and crumpled away in the course of time. But time has no effect on the massive pillars. They remain to the present day and will to future generations to remind us of what many call Leader's Folly.
   It is indeed a most pleasant walk by the banks of the rocky Dripsey River from Clonmoyle Bridge (about two miles from Coachford). There you will come upon those huge massive pillars which are outlined against a backround of hills and the far-away mountains on

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   John Lyons

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   John David O' Dwyer

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   c. 23

   Occupation

   Student

   Address

   Coolacullig, Co. Cork