Wonderful Barn - Irish grain tower-corkscrew (15 photos)

The Irish are great storytellers with their wonderful world of banshees, leprechauns and other characters, and they love to embellish history.





But when a corkscrew-shaped barn appeared near Leixlip in County Kildare in 1743, even the most skeptical locals immediately dubbed it The Wonderful Barn. And, admittedly, their delight was entirely justified.

A Grain Tower and More



This seven-story spiral giant (over 20 meters high!) served as more than just a storage facility for the harvest. Some floors housed servants, and the structure itself resembled a mini-fortress – and for good reason.

Famine and Good Intentions





In the 1740s, Ireland was engulfed by a terrible famine that killed almost 40% of the population. The widow of politician Conolly, the owner of the estate, decided to help people: she started a large-scale construction project to provide work for the peasants who were left without a harvest.

Irony? Perhaps. But the barn was built with hope – it was supposed to save from future disasters.

"Fortress" against robbers



In those hungry years, grain reserves could become prey for desperate neighbors. Therefore, the barn was built with defensive elements:

triangular windows - for convenient shooting at enemies;

94 steps along the outer spiral ascent - a narrow passage that is easy to defend;

inner well - grain was raised through holes in the center of each floor, dried and packaged.

Twin Dovecotes



Next to each other are two miniature barns – these are actually dovecotes. In the 18th century, pigeons were considered a delicacy, especially when other game was unavailable.

A sad present and hope for the future



Alas, it is now dangerous to enter the corkscrew house – vandals have worked on the unusual building and burned it from the inside. But the Kildare authorities are carrying out restoration, so perhaps the Wonderful Barn will once again be as beautiful inside as it looks on the outside.



But if you find yourself in Ireland, County Kildare is definitely worth a visit. You may not be able to go inside yet, but the sight of this spiral of brick and mystery alone – an example of unusual fairytale architecture, a story of struggle against adversity, and an engineering marvel – is definitely worth it.