Irish Walls (2)

Irish walls don't always conform to the same 'rules' of British walling.  Here we have a retaining wall consisting of a mix of horizontally coursed stones mixed in with vertically coursed stone and capped with a double course of vertical stones.

(Co Wexford)

In many places in the south west of Ireland stones are placed in a vertical orientation.  These walls are surprisingly easy to build and the walls tighten as they settle.  They are often built without any copes or top stones. 

 A field boundary wall in Co.Waterford built of rough field stone.  Again no copes/topstones

 The same wall - As you can see it has been built within the last 15 years.

(Below).  In many parts of rural West Cork, the hills and land outside cultivation contain miles of these small walls, often no more than a meter in hight and of single stone construction.n the rougher.  They serve no purpose now and both sheep and cattle can easily cross them.  No farmer I spoke to was able to tell me to what original purpose these walls served.