BENCHMARKS continued
Possibly unique, this
one on the Martello Tower at Sandycove in Dublin has an interesting
history. Michael Byrne, who found it, tells the story. He writes:
“This is Celebrity Indoor Benchmark 46.8, which
should have been given a mention in Ulysses, but sadly never got a
look in!
The location is on the
Martello Tower which now houses the James Joyce Museum in Sandycove.
While officially on the outside of the tower facing South, and
exposed to the elements like every other self respecting Benchmark,
it's now located indoors enjoying it's celebrity status within the
Visitor Centre lean-to added to the tower.
The chunky mark points
to the edge of a flat ridge that skirts the tower, and above the mark
there is a shallow hole drilled into the stone. Did I read somewhere
that the surveyors dropped a steel ball into those holes to give them
their Benchmark?
The location shot shows
the mark to the right of the display cabinet in the visitors centre.
By the way, the two
guys working there were extremely helpful and very interested in the
whole Benchmark story. Not only did they let me out the back door to
search, but gave a dig out in looking! Convinced the mark was lost to
the cut made in the tower for the centre's wall, I took one last look
inside. On moving a large framed picture standing on the floor
between the display unit and the tower - voila! - Benchmark found!
The guys were delighted as they never knew it was there, and got me
to sign into the visitors book, with a note of the BM height of 46.8.
Great craic!”
Below: The 'mark on the Martello Tower at Sandycove.
Above: Inside the visitor centre at the Martello Tower with the
'mark at centre right.
