Irish round tower

A stump 3m tall at its highest point, surrounded by rubble from its collapse, is all that remains. Barrow speculates that some of the stones from the tower were used to build the nearby wall surrounding the cemetery, including one at the top of the entrance 1.07m long with a raised moulding that may have been the sill stone from the tower's doorway.

The OS of County Londonderry of 1837[14] Has the following: "In the charter of Derry it is called Columb kille's Tower In Raven's plan of the city in 1621 it appears as a very high and slender belfry....In the popular traditions of Derry and its vicinity this tower is still invariably spoken of as a lofty round tower built by St Columb himself and many legends are current of its miracle working silver bell"

Brain Lalor states that fragments of the tower have been found on-site and its location is marked on OSI maps from c. 1850.

995/6 "Ard-Macha was burned by lightning, both houses damhlaig and cloigteach and fidnad" - Annals of Tigernach
1020 "Ard-Macha was burned with all the fort....and the Cloicteach, with its bells" - Annals of the Four Masters
1121 "A great wind storm happened in December of this year, which knocked off the conical cap of the cloicteach of Ard-Macha"- Annals of the Four Masters
The tower is said to have stood 12 m north of the present cathedral (based on a map drawn in 1886 during the restoration of the cathedral) and possibly finally met its demise in 1642 when the town and cathedral were burned by Phelim O'Neill
No trace of the tower remains.

This is the only known reference to the tower and no trace of it now remains.

No trace of the tower now remains and the cathedral built in 1865 evidently covers the site where it once stood.

Harris (from Ware's Antiquities 1746) in 1744 describes the remains of the tower at that time as being 66 feet tall with walls 3 feet thick standing 40 ft from the old cathedral. The doorway was at ground level. (Barrow speculates that the ground level may have been raised by the rubble of the old cathedral.)

A painting by Charles Lilly from 1790 and a print from 1789 show the round tower with a broken top standing to the south-west corner of the cathedral next to St. Patrick's grave. The remainder of the tower is said to have been pulled down in the early 19th century during the renovation of the cathedral as it was in a dangerous state.
No trace of the tower now remains but the site is pointed out next St Patrick's grave on raised ground which Barrow speculates may conceal its foundations.

Barrow states that Petrie in his notes (c. 1830s) quotes old locals describing the tower as of rude construction of large stones c.70 ft high with two windows at the top. A car park now marks the site of the former school and no trace of the tower now remains, though its stones are said to have been used in a nearby cemetery wall (this wall is no longer present).

The tower survived at least until medieval times. Evidence of this is clearly visible in the imprint of the tower in the north wall of the square 15th century Tower of St. Mary's Church. The tower was incorporated into the medieval belfry in a similar manner to the Irish Round Tower at Lusk. The tower collapsed or was demolished at an unknown date leaving a scar on the side of the belfry. The scar rises to 14 m high where the tower diverged from the later building. There is a large window/opening (9.6 m from the ground) within this scar suggesting that this opening allowed access between the tower and belfry.

Fragments of the foundation remain showing that the external diameter at the base of the tower was 5.18 m.

Thomas Dineley in his book[18] from 1681 has a sketch of the old cathedral at Emly with a stump (possibly that of the remains of a round tower) behind it at one side reaching to the height of the eaves of the cathedral. The stump appears to have 11 regular even courses of masonry with an opening, possibly representing the doorway. The site of the cathedral is an old graveyard beside the modern catholic church.

All that remains of the cathedral is an old stone cross and no trace of the tower remains.

Barrow visiting the site in 1974 describes finding several stones taken from the ruin of the round tower embedded in the cemetery wall surrounding the site and also scattered amongst the graves. These stones include the capstone, a conical stone with an angle of around 65 degrees 30 cm high with one side broken off. Also found were what Barrow believes were the remains of a round-headed doorway "of three stones" dressed to the curve with a moulding.

A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland[20] states "One of the ancient round towers stood here till 1807 when it was pulled down to make room for the belfry of the church".

The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland[21] describes the steeple of Killeshin being "undermined" "and flung down" in 1703 by an employee of a Captain Woosley (described as "Hero of the Boyne"). The tower measured 105 feet long on the ground after being felled and apparently remained largely intact in its tubular form.

John O'Donovan[19] was told by locals in 1838 that the tower was knocked down by the local landlord in c. 1750 as it posed a threat (if it fell) to his cattle who used to scratch themselves on the four pillars on which the tower stood. Barrow speculates that this later account of the towers destruction and 4 pillars notion is a corruption of the original account and speculates that the tower had become dilapidated at its base and so became structurally unsound. Stones from the tower were still visible on site during O'Donovan's visit in 1838.

Barrow states that nothing now remains of the tower, "at least above the ground".

Barrow speculates that a farm wall nearby may contain stones from the round tower.

Keane[23] says: The ruins of a Round Tower to the height of eight feet and without door or window are said to have stood at Rath until the year 1838 when the materials were removed for the building of the Churchyard wall . Keane also says There is a legend among the peasantry of the neighbourhood that the Saint of Dysart, St Mawnaula, carried away from Rath the tower now standing at Dysart whereupon Blamaic the Saint of Rath retaliated by conveying to Rath some other building which had stood at Dysart. Barrow speculates that it is more likely that the tower and indeed the entire monastery at Dysart was built to replace the one that had been ruined at Rath Blamaic. Barrow also states that when he examined the cemetery wall, in 1974, at Rath Blamaic that many of its stones looked likely to have come from the remains of the round tower.

Barrow states that the Silver seal of the dean and chapter of Ross, made in 1661, was embossed with a round tower which had a bulge at its base like Clondalkin. The site at Rosscarbery is now marked by a Church of Ireland cathedral with the remains of an early church across the road. No trace of the round tower remains.

Barrow speculates that the probable site of the tower was on a hill where the ruins of a 16th-century friary now remain. No trace of the tower remains.

Nothing visible remains above ground at least.

It is presumed by locals that the tower stood on the site of the Church of Ireland cathedral. No other references to the tower exist and no trace of the tower remains.

George Petrie recorded a local tradition that some of the tower remained until as late as 1800. Barrow states that Brash, however, upon visiting the area in 1852 and speaking with its oldest inhabitants was unable to find anyone with knowledge of the tower. Brash speculates that the Petrie may have been referencing an old stone church rather that the remains of a round tower. It is unknown where exactly the tower stood and no trace of it remains.

John O'Donovan[19] identifies the site as in the townland of Tullaghard of Steeplestown a short way due North of Trim. O'Donovan also records speaking to a local person born in 1750 who claimed to remember the tower standing as late as 1757. He had seen it as a child but was unable to recall what kind of tower it was. Barrow states that the site is now "open fields" and no trace of the tower remains.

John O'Donovan[19] identifies the site as Tullamaine, a parish whose overgrown closed cemetery is in a field about 4 km West of Callan. No monastic remains now exist there and no trace of the tower remains.