Herewith the dovecote in the grounds of Woodstock, County Kilkenny. According to http://www.buildingsofireland.ie, the building dates c.1750, but it does not appear to be on the earliest Ordnance Survey map produced in the second quarter of the 19th century, so it may be later. In any case, the dovecote has a rubble stone exterior and is circular in plan with a conical slate roof on top of which sits a miniature version of the building through which pigeons had access to the interior: the latter, with brick-lined walls and ceiling, contains 293 nesting boxes, an indication of how many of these birds would have been eaten during the winter period.
The Irish Aesthete is generously supported by
Nesting boxes for 293 pairs . Assume 50% occupancy. Assume an average of 8 fledgelings annually per pair. That’s a production of 1,200 annually. The mid boggles! Roast pigeon, pigeon soup, pigeon pie, pigeon stew, pigeon terrine…….
Incredible brickwork! Not sure I like the idea of eating doves…but it was of the time I suppose! Still beautiful work though!!