439 



ternal recesses. The wall was probably never much over fifteen or 

 eighteen feet in height ; but the tower, or keep, may have reached to 

 thirty feet, or more. 



In the " Dictionary of Military Architecture of the Middle Ages in 

 France," by M. Yiolet le Due, he shows that massive wooden struc- 

 tures entered largely into the construction of the castles of the thirteenth, 

 fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries, not only in the interior of such 

 walls as those forming Bally mo on Castle, but along their summits. With- 

 out doubt, this effective mode of defence was adopted here after the 

 most approved fashion ; for the low walls of Bally mo on could offer but 

 feeble obstruction to any determined escalade. The wall defences, there- 

 fore, probably consisted of a wide projecting covered gallery, resting on 

 massive beams placed transverse to the wall, and called hoarding, thus 

 making every portion of the wall impregnable to all modes of attack 

 except that of fire, which the garrison, no doubt, knew how to resist.^ 



That our mediaeval castles were thus protected by external wood 

 work, forming galleries round the summit of the walls, is clearly 

 proved at Trim Castle, where, two years since, I detected the ends of mas- 

 sive oak beams, broken short off, and filling large external putlock holes 

 which surround the summit of the keep in two regular rows, far apart, 

 the lower being for the struts, and the upper for the flooring of the 

 galleries. 



Thus we can understand the peculiar form of many castles, turrets, 

 and walls, illustrated by Froissart, in his Chronicles, which before were 

 not easy of comprehension, supposing the structures to have been en- 

 tirely of stone. 



No. 64. Effigy of a bishop, or mitred abbot, preserved in the wall 

 of the courtyard of Slane Castle, county of Meath. From the rudeness 

 of the sculpturing, and the absence of all details in the dress, with the 

 exception of the large finger ring on the right hand, which is raised in 

 giving the benediction, I should regard this as late fourteenth century, 

 or possibly fifteenth century work. 



No. 65. Plan of Clonmines Abbey, county of "Wexford. From this 

 it appears that originally the arch of the central tower was lighted on 

 the south side by a beautiful window of three opes ; subsequently this 

 was built up, and a winding stairs constructed within it, which led to 

 the summit of the tower. It is not easy to determine whether this 

 change in the original plan of the building was made to strengthen the 

 tower, or to add to it as a means of defence — possibly both, f 



No. 66. Exterior view of the three-ope window once lighting the 

 base of the central tower of Clonmines Abbey on the north, but subse- 

 quently built up, showing also the small loops for lighting the winding 

 stairs within. 



* See Vol. III. of this series, for examples of loops from this castle. 



f See Archdall's " Monasticon" for notice of this Abbey ; and paper by the writer on 

 the fortified church at Clonmines, published in the " Kilkenny Archaeological Journal," 

 vol. v., p. 27. 



