Handiwork of a 19th century eccentric

IT mightn’t be a complete folly to follow in the footsteps of 19th century eccentric Johnny Roche — the man who built this River Awbeg tower, called Castle Curious, in the 1840s, just after the Famine.

The three-storey castle is a robust, but achievable, challenge for someone with time on their hands.

Built by hand (and said to be a one-man construction) by the Wallstown, Castletownroche north Cork native Roche on his return from America, he sourced sand from the River Awbeg, lime from Mallow and stone from the locale.