A beacon of love

The Maiden Tower was built in the late 16th century as a beacon to aid sailors navigating their way up from the mouth of the River Boyne into Drogheda. Beside the tower is a 13-foot obelisk known as ‘The Lady’s Finger’. The legend associated with it was that a beautiful woman was in love with a local man who was called away to war. Before leaving, the woman made her lover promise he would return to her, one way or another. They struck a bargain so that if the man survived the war, he would return on a ship with white sails, and if he did not survive, the ship would arrive in port decked in black sails. The young woman kept her vigil at the top of the Maiden Tower for many months, until she finally saw her lover’s ship on the horizon. As it came closer, she could see the sails adorning the ship were black. Overwhelmed with grief, the young woman threw herself off the top of the tower so as to join her lover in death. The obelisk was said to have been erected in her memory and the term ‘Lady’s Finger’ was coined to represent the young woman’s ring finger, which never received a wedding ring.

Thanks to DeeWeeUAV’P for brill drone footage