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While not strictly speaking a Railway shot this has enough clues as to its location to make it interesting. We thought you might like the chase to identify what it is and where it is now located????

Well, it's the order of the garter, isn't it?

It looks a bit new to be off Fort Castle, so it's probably from the defunct COI.

It appears to be Ratcliffe, Robert, 5th Earl of Sussex armorial.library.utoronto.ca/stamps/RAT001_s1 What would his stamp be doing cluttering up Offaly?

derangedlemur Both his uncle and father were involved in the plantation of Laois/Offaly.

Flickr is sometimes Dunamazing! In 2016 via Fergal Gleeson

Photo of an old print Dunamase castle plate 1 of 3 Antique copper line engraved print By Hooper and Newton for Francis GROSE (c.1731 . .1791) for The Antiquities of Ireland (2 vols., 1st in 1791) Pub. by Mr. Hooper, Sep 17 1794 So, published after his death

Here is the original engraving in the book online. The text ftartf a few pagef before - archive.org/details/GroseFTheAntiquitiesOfIrelandVol21795... And a link to a hi-res version of the image - ia800804.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?z...

Those look like cattle in the right foreground, but it's an enchanted ass you'd have to watch out for. If the Kerry Evening Post of Wednesday 11 June 1845 is to believed, (it mentions a policeman called Fox, after all) or rather if Michael Tynan, the defendant in a court case is to be believed, then there's a lot more going on at the Rock of Dunamase than is mentioned in the wikipedia article. The account of the proceedings begins as follows

MARYBORO’ PETTY SESSIONS-Tuesday THE ENCHANTED ASS OF DUNAMASE. Sub-constable Joseph Fox summoned Michael Tynan for allowing his ass to roam at large about the roads in the vicinity of the ruins of the feudal fortress of Dunamase. Tynan was frequently warned about the animal, but without any effect. Fined 6d. and costs. Tynan, having heard their worships’ adjudication "looked unutterable things.” He was desired go down; and not allow the animal to roam at large any more ; for if again summoned, the penalty would be heavier. He should keep his ass well spancilled.

That's when it gets weird. The defendant then goes on to explain why his ass is enchanted, recounting an incident involving (amongst many other things):

- buried gold beneath the ruins, - a ghost "the white lady", - a verse predicting death (our 2nd in 2 days) but which rhymes "death" with "beneath" - a dramatis personae of Mick Hackett, Jack Robinson, Paddy Mara, Mick Reilly and Micky Hegarty. And a quart bottle of whiskey.

A transcript of the complete article can be found here [BTW I couldn't help noticing that in the next case reported John Burke was fined (also 6d and costs) for "allowing one of his pigs to rusticate on the highway".] PS "Spancil" is a new word to me. I'm going to use it at every opportunity today, should any ass-hobbling work come my way.

From 2012, my home county. www.flickr.com/photos/brendan_doyle/albums/72157631694155856