One of Ireland’s most striking memorials

This strange-looking structure was built in 1742 and is known as ‘Conolly’s Folly’ or ‘Conolly’s Obelisk’. It stands 140 feet high and is composed of several arches and is adorned by stone pineapples, eagles, and a massive pillar. It was built under the instruction of Katherine Conolly: the philanthropic widow of William Speaker Conolly of Castletown House. It provided employment for the people of Celbridge just after the famine of 1741. The Obelisk was designed by the famous architect Richard Cassel. It was restored in 1965 by The Irish Georgian Society.