Looking Back: Old Kilcullen tower replicated in London

Franco-British Exhibition — Display of Irish Manufacture

Upon one ground, at all events, the Irish Village now being built up at the Franco-British Exhibition will strongly commend itself to the favour of Irish visitors. All the manufacturers exhibiting in the Village have agreed to devote the profits, both from the "gate" and the sale of goods to the anti-consumption fund in Ireland.

Originally the Village was to cover two-thirds of an acre, but the scheme has gone on growing until at the present time it covers an area of ten and  a half acres. A description of the leading features suggests that it will be more representative of Ireland than the disastrous "International" at Herbert Park last year. We are told that it "will be an Irish village as it ought to be, not crumbling to decay and depopulated by emigration, as so many Irish villages, alas, are nowadays; but alive, busy, happy, and self-supporting.

The spiritual side of Ireland will not be forgotten. There is the old Irish cross that has stood in Donaghmore for a thousand years, and near by the ruined church, both testifying to the truth of Ireland's ancient designation, 'The Isle of Saints'.

One of the famous round towers has also been reproduced. It is an accurate copy of that at Kilcullen, about 100ft, in height, solidly built to represent uncut rubble work, and with the characteristic doorway raised many feet above the ground and the single-arched windows high up."

— Freeman's Journal 21.04.1908.

(Credit to Dave Byrne for trawling through the old newspaper files for reports from and about Kilcullen.)

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Franco-British Exhibition was held between May and October 1908 in the area of what is now known as White City in London. Celebrating the Entente Cordiale signed between Britain and France four years before, the fair was the first international exhibition co-sponsored by two countries. Key exhibits were an Irish Village called 'Ballymaclinton' and a Sengalese village equivalent, both representing elements of British imperialism 'success'. The Irish village had 150 'colleens' demonstrating various forms of domestic industry.

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