LIST OF IRISH ROUND TOWERS AND CROSSES.[619]
Reading edition
LIST OF IRISH ROUND TOWERS AND CROSSES.[619]
An asterisk (*) is prefixed to the names of the most remarkable.
I. TOWERS.
Aghaboe (Queen’s Co.).
Aghadoe (Kerry), only 12 or 15 feet left. Its masonry greatly superior to that of the church near it (167).
Aghagower (Mayo), near Westport. Imperfect.
Aghaviller (Kilkenny), six miles south of Thomastown. Imperfect.
Annadown (Galway), only 7 feet of a very fine base left.
*Antrim (Antrim), one of the most perfect, but of the smaller class.
Aranmore (Galway), base only.
Ardfert (Kerry), site only.
Ardkeen, or Ardkyne (Down).
Ardmore (Waterford), very perfect specimen, 97 feet high by 52 feet round (v. p. 71).
Ardpatrick (Limerick), imperfect.
Ardrahan (Galway), site interesting from having a subterranean passage.
Armaghdown (Galway).
Armoy (Antrim), near Ballycastle, 40 feet only left.
Assylin (Roscommon), site only.
Baal, or Balla (Mayo), only 40 feet left, but fine specimen.
Ballybeg (Cork), site only.
Ballycarbery (Kerry), alluded to by O’Brien as a “Cathoir ghall” (p. 48).
Ballygaddy (Galway), near Kilbannon.
Ballyvourney (Cork), site only.
Belturbet (Cavan).
Brigoon (Cork), site only; tower blown down in 1704.
Cailtree Isle, so mentioned by Vallancey; probably Iniscaltra (q.v.).
Cashel (Tipperary), 90 feet high by 42 feet round. Sculptured doorway.
Castle Dermot (Kildare), imperfect, but with fine doorway.
Clareen (King’s Co.), see Sierg Kieran.
*Clondalkin (Dublin), complete, but renovated, specimen, nearly 80 feet high by 45 feet round; curious projecting base 13 feet high (p. 101).
Clones (Monaghan), imperfect.
*Clonmacnoise (King’s Co.), two fine, but renovated, specimens.
Cloyne (Cork), well preserved, but tampered with in rebuilding. Originally 92 feet high, which has been increased to 102 feet.
Cork (near St. Finbar’s), site only.
Derry (city), site only.
*Devenish (Fermanagh), the most perfect and highly finished of all, 79 feet high by 48 feet round (p. 38).
Disart Carrigen, or Disert Angus (Limerick), near Adare; about 60 feet left; ornamented doorway.
Donoughmore (Meath), 79 feet left; fine, but imperfect, specimen.
Dromcliffe (Clare), very imperfect remains of.
Dromeskin (Louth), a reconstruction; church now stands on original site.
Drumboe (Down), only the base, with quadrangular doorway, remaining.
Drumcliffe (Sligo), only 40 feet left.
Drumlahan, or Drumlane (Cavan), only 20 feet of original left, with “belfry” added.
Dublin (city), site on left side of Ship Street, now built on.
Durrow (King’s Co.).
Dysart Enos (Queen’s Co.), imperfect.
Dysart O’Dea (Clare), near Ennis; 50 feet left, 61 feet in circumference.
Ferbane (King’s Co.), Vallancey mentions two specimens.
Ferns (Wexford), evidently a modern structure made out of the old materials.
*Fertagh (Kilkenny), one of the loftiest and most perfect.
Finglas (Dublin), site only.
Giant’s Ring (Down), a specimen “without any church hard by” (O’B.), p. 514.
*Glendalough (Wicklow), locality most interesting; contains two specimens, one 110 feet high by 50 feet round.
Iniscaltra (Galway), probably the “Cailtree Isle” of Vallancey.
Inis Keen (Monaghan), 42 feet left standing.
Inis MacNessain (Ireland’s Eye) (Dublin), site only.
Inis-Mochoe (Down), on shore of Lough Strangfal; imperfect.
*Inis Scattery (Clare), more than 100 feet high, injudiciously repaired.
Ireland’s Eye (Dublin), materials of tower taken to build R.C. church.
Isle of Aran (Galway).
Kellistown (Carlow), site only.
*Kells (Meath), in very good preservation, though unroofed; quite unaltered; 99 feet left.
Kilbannon, or Ballygaddy (Galway), 40 feet left.
Kilcoona (Galway).
Kilcullen (Kildare), 40 feet remaining.
*Kildare, very fine, and elaborately ornamented; 105 feet high, but top spurious.
*Kilkenny, perfect, all but the top 108 feet high. Good specimen.
Killala (Mayo), good specimen, judiciously repaired; 84 feet high by 50 feet round.
Killashee (Kildare), also known as Killossy. Imperfect.
Killeshandra (Cavan).
Killeshin (Queen’s Co.), site only.
*Kilmacduagh (Galway), fine Cyclopean base; 120 feet high by 57 feet round; 3 feet out of the perpendicular.
Kilmallock (Limerick), very imperfect, and much altered.
Kilnaboy (Clare), 12 feet only standing.
Kilrea (Kilkenny), nearly perfect.
Kinneth, pronounced Kinneigh (Cork), remarkably fine hexagonal base, underground passage, rock basins, etc.
Lorum (Carlow), site only.
Lusk (Dublin), fine Cyclopean doorway; much repaired; 100 feet high by 43 feet round.
Maghera (Down), only 20 feet left, rest blown down in 1704.
Maghturreidh (Sligo), doubtful.
Mahee Island (Down), imperfect.
Meelick (Mayo), 72 feet left; in good condition.
*Monasterboice (Louth), characteristic doorway, top shattered by lightning, otherwise perfect; 110 feet high by 50 feet round.
Oran (Roscommon), only 12 feet left, must have been one of the largest.
Oughterard (Kildare), scanty remains.
Ram Island (Antrim), scanty remains; said to have been used as a sepulchre.
Rath (Clare), site only.
Rathmichael (Dublin), stump only.
*Rattoo (Kerry), very perfect; the loftiest and least injured by renovation.
Roscom (Galway), three miles east of Galway. Imperfect.
Roscrea (Tipperary), imperfect, curiously sculptured rounded doorway.
Rosenallis (Meath?), site only; the subject of a bitter controversy (v. Petrie, pp. 40-42).
Rosscarbery (Cork), site only.
*Scattery Island (see Inis Scattery), 125 feet high by 52 feet round. The only specimen having doorway level with the ground.
Sierg Keiran or Clareen (King’s Co.), site only.
Slane (Meath), very doubtful site.
Swords (Dublin), almost entirely rebuilt; 73 feet high.
Tamlaghtfinlogan (Derry), scanty remains.
Teghadoe (Kildare), 60 feet left, in excellent preservation.
Temple Finghin (at Clonmacnoise).
*Timahoe (Queen’s Co.), 96 feet high by 60 feet round; beautiful specimen.
Tomgraney (Clare), site only.
Tory Island (Donegal), imperfect.
Trummery (Antrim).
Tullagherin (Kilkenny).
Tullosherin (Waterford), near Dungarvan; mentioned by Vallancey.
*Turlough (Mayo), good specimen, but reconstructed in part.
West Carbery (?), so mentioned by Vallancey, but probably Roiscarbery (q.v.).
Note.—Round Towers, evidently imitations of the Irish R. T., exist at Brechin and Abernethy in Scotland. There is, also, a rather doubtful specimen at Peel (Isle of Man), and a still more doubtful one at Hythe (Kent).
II. CROSSES.
Achath, Abhall, or Aghold (Wicklow), much weather-worn.
*Ardboe, or Arboe (Tyrone), about 20 feet high, with remarkable sculpture.
Armagh, imperfect; when complete, at least 26 feet high; sculptured.
Banagher (Derry), curious sculptured figure of man on horseback.
Cashel (Tipperary), much weather-worn.
Castle Dermot (Kildare), two specimens of some interest.
Clondalkin (Dublin), ancient granite specimen, 9 feet high.
Clones (Monaghan), handsomely sculptured, but weather-worn.
Clonfeacle, (Armagh), without sculpture or inscription.
*Clonmacnoise (King’s Co.), two fine specimens (v. p. 358).
Cong (Connemara), base only, with inscription in Erse.
Conwall (Donegal), only the socket remaining.
Donoughmore (Meath), imperfect, and much weather-worn.
*Drumcliffe (Sligo), handsomely sculptured.
Drumeskin (Louth), used as a headstone in burying-ground.
Duleck (Meath), handsomely sculptured.
*Durrow (King’s Co.), very beautiful, but hard to find, being situated among trees in an old burial-ground.
*Dysart, or Disert, O’Dea (Clare), now in ruins, once richly sculptured.
Fassaroe (Wicklow), in private grounds.
Ferns (Wexford), remains of four specimens in different places.
Finglas (Dublin), well cut, but without ornament (v. p. 366).
Glanculmkill (Clare), base only.
Glen (Donegal).
*Glendalough (Wicklow), v. p. 466.
*Kells (Meath), three beautiful specimens (v. p. 491).
Kilclispeen (Tipperary), with very remarkable sculptured base.
*Kilcullen (Kildare), portions of two specimens (v. p. 338).
*Killkieran (Kilkenny), three specimens.
*Killamery (Kilkenny), beautiful specimen.
Kilmacduagh (Galway).
Kilnaboy (Clare), has been shifted from its original position.
*Kilnafora (Clare), remains of five out of seven.
Kilnafosse.
Kilrea (Kilkenny).
Maheramore, or Banagher (Derry). See Banagher.
*Monasterboice (Louth), the most perfect in Ireland.
*Moone Abbey, or Timolin (Kildare), two specimens; one very remarkable.
Moville (Donegal), ancient cross, with hole in top of shaft.
Nevinstown (Meath), in mutilated condition.
Old Leighlin (Carlow), only the base remaining.
Oughterard (Kildare), several specimens near the Round Tower.
Roscrea (Tipperary), broken, but with curious carving.
Rosstrevor (Down), fine specimen in burying-ground.
Temple Cronan (Clare).
Temple Kieran (Leitrim).
*Termon Fechin (Louth), fine specimen.
Timolin, or Moone Abbey (Kildare).
Tory Island (Donegal), several specimens.
*Tuam (Galway), “the finest monument of its class and age” (Petrie).
Tynan (Armagh).