Conolly's Folly facts for kids
| Baois Uí Chongaile | |
Conolly's Folly as of May 2016
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| Coordinates | 53°22′08″N 6°33′38″W / 53.3690°N 6.5605°W |
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| Location | Barrogstown West, Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland |
| Type | Arch structure with Obelisk |
| Height | 42 m (138 ft) |
| Completion date | 1740 |
| Dedicated to | William Conolly |
The Conolly Folly (Irish: Baois Uí Chongaile), also known as The Obelisk, is a tall, interesting building. It is a National Monument in Ireland. You can find it between the towns of Leixlip and Maynooth in County Kildare.
Contents
History of the Conolly Folly
The Conolly Folly is a type of building called a folly. A folly is a building that looks like it has a purpose, but it's mostly for decoration. This one was built near Castletown House, a big estate.
Why Was the Folly Built?
The Conolly Folly was ordered by Katherine Conolly. She was the kind and generous wife of William Conolly, a famous speaker in the Irish Parliament. She wanted to help people during a very hard time.
In 1740, there was a terrible famine in Ireland. Many people were poor and hungry. Katherine Conolly spent £400 to build the folly. This gave jobs to people in Celbridge who really needed work.
The folly is an obelisk, which is a tall, narrow, four-sided pillar. It was finished in 1740. It was built so you could see it from the back of Castletown House, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) away. It lines up perfectly with the center of the house. It was also meant to mark the back entrance to Castletown House.
The folly was built on land that belonged to the FitzGerald family, the Dukes of Leinster, who lived at Carton House. It was not on the Conolly family's own land.
Who Designed and Restored It?
The Conolly Folly was designed by Richard Castle. It stands 42 meters (140 feet) tall. It has several arches and is decorated with stone pineapples and eagles. A large obelisk pillar sits on top.
Years later, the Irish Georgian Society helped restore the folly. This happened between 1961 and 1965. This restoration was the Society's first big project.
In 1968, the folly and its 5 acres of woodland were bought thanks to a generous gift from an American donor, Rose Saul Zalles. Today, the Office of Public Works (OPW) takes care of the Conolly Folly. A modern gate now stops people from going right up to the folly.
What Does Conolly Mean?
The name Conolly is used for the folly. You might see the name spelled Connolly more often. However, William Conolly and his family always spelled it Conolly. This spelling comes from the Irish words 'Ui Conghaile'.
See also
In Spanish: Conolly's Folly para niños
