Who built the Irish round towers?

Who built the Irish round towers?

Irish Christian monks
The ancient Round Towers that dot the Irish landscape were erected by Irish Christian monks and can also be found in areas where they served like the two that stand in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man. However, in Ireland where they originated, about 120 are thought to have existed.

Who built the round tower in Clondalkin?

St Mochua
The Round Tower, Clondalkin was founded in the 7th century by St Mochua and is one of only four remaining round towers in Co. Dublin.

Why did Irish monks build round towers?

The most popular theory is that the towers were used for defensive purposes. The monks took their treasures and hid inside the tower where they would be safe from raiders. The doorway, high up in the wall, made it difficult for unwanted guests to gain entry. Another theory is that the towers were used as bell towers.

When was round tower built?

The only known round tower with a hexagonal base is at Kinneigh in County Cork, built in 1014. The round tower at Ardmore, County Waterford, believed to be the latest built in Ireland (c. 12th century), has the unique feature of three string courses around the exterior.

What is the tallest round tower in Ireland?

Kilmacduagh Round Tower
Kilmacduagh Round Tower, Galway. At over 34 metres in height, Ireland’s tallest round tower totally dominates the monastic complex at Kilmacduagh.

Why are towers round?

Round towers, also called drum towers, are more resistant to siege technology such as sappers and projectiles than square towers. The round front is more resistant than the straight side of a square tower, just as a load-bearing arch. This principle was already understood in antiquity.

What was the Clondalkin round tower used for?

It was built in the centre of an early medieval monastery, which was originally founded by St Crónán Mo-Chua in the late 600s or early 700s. No one knows for certain why round towers were built or what they were used for. But most likely, they were mainly used as bell towers.

When was the round tower built in Clondalkin?

7th century
The Round Tower Clondalkin, one of the many cultural highlights in South Dublin County, is built on the site of a monastery founded by St. Mochua in the 7th century and is one of the four remaining round towers in County Dublin.

What were Irish round towers used for?

Their primary function was that of a belfry – the annals almost always label each one as a cloig-theach (bell house). They also had secondary functions. The traditional use of the round tower, taught to past generations, was one of defence, particularly during Viking raids on monasteries and churches.

What was inside a round tower?

Like others around the country, Clondalkin Round Tower has a raised doorway and four windows at the top, which face towards the four compass points: north, south, east and west. Inside there were once six floors, which were all connected with ladders.

Is there a round tower at Skellig Michael?

There are several large orthostats on its north and west sides. There are two dry stone leachta on the site. The larger is positioned between Saint Michael’s Church and the main Oratory, and is thought to pre-date both, and once had a large upright cross at its western end, which is now broken off.

Are round towers stronger?

Why did the monks build the round tower?

Round Towers were built by the monks of early Irish monasteries as places of refuge in case the monastery was attacked. If the monks suspected that the monastery was in danger, they would move all their valuable books and treasures into the tower and pull up the wooden ladder.

How did the round tower in Ireland get its name?

The old Irish name for them was cloig-thech or bell-tower, perhaps adapted from the Italian campanile. But the raised doorway suggested to some that the towers were fortifications in which the monks could barricade themselves safely against marauding Vikings (and Irish too!).

When did Patrick Cuddihy build the round tower?

Father Patrick Cuddihy went to Milford, MA in 1857 to lead St. Mary of the Assumption Parish. He built a Round Tower on church property in 1895 as a reminder of home to those Irish immigrants who settled in Central Massachusetts.

Who is in charge of the round tower?

He has the charge of prisoners brought hither, and is accountable to the King for whatever is contained in the Castle. He has a deputy or lieutenant-governor, who holds equal command in his absence, and has lodgings appointed for his residence at the entrance of the tower we are now about to describe.