The Wonderful Barn near Leixlip, Co Kildare:This is arguably the most eccentric looking building in Ireland. Built in 1743 as a famine-relief scheme by Katherine Conolly of Castletown, widow of William 'Speaker' Conolly. It was conceived not only as a functional grain store but as an architectural eye-catcher. It rises to a height of 21m (70ft) in a tapering, corkscrew cone, and is encircled by a cantilevered staircase with a crow's nest viewing gallery.
The mausoleum of Robert Cooke in Reynella churchyard, Co Westmeath
This mausoleum was built by Adolphus Cooke (1792-1876) of Cookesborough to house the remains of his father, Robert. Adolphus Cooke was a noted and colourful local eccentric and landowner with a strong belief in reincarnation. Reputedly, Adolphus Cooke designed this tomb to look like a beehive, as he believed his father would be reincarnated as a bee. Adolphus himself later had massive fox holes built around his estate in the belief that he himself would be reincarnated as a fox.
The “Metal Man” beacon in Rosses Point, Co Sligo
This navigation beacon was built in 1821 in the form of a colourful Royal Navy petty officer guiding ships into Sligo Harbour. Made from painted cast-iron, it’s a sturdy construction that is an important part of Sligo maritime history.
Additional sources: www.igs.ie and www.buildingsofireland.ie