Mayo’s Round Towers
Ireland’s Round Towers ‘cloigtheach’ were a distinctive feature within the Irish landscape. Several various eras are offered as to the original date of construction during Ireland’s historical foundations. Round towers were established as free-standing structures; shaped like a stony tube topped by a conical roof. Constructed it was believed between the tenth or thirteen centuries as ecclesiastical buildings also protection from Viking raiders or warring local tribes. Initially roofs were wooden but due to vulnerability of fire or lightening were replaced by stone roofs to reduce danger. Stone roofs improved acoustics also the bell’s resonance. Builders were extremely skilled experts with knowledge of pulleys, hoists or external scaffolds. Towers’ foundations were just 0.51 metres below ground level. Approximately thirty metres in height with a single doorway. Inside wooden floors divided the space into levels. The last level under the roof included four windows for illumination. During 1845, the artist, scholar, antiquarian George Petrie demonstrated the ecclesiastical origin & functions of the peculiar buildings. He portrayed that the towers were constructed near monasteries as the ringing of the bells were essential for the monastic life with a call to monks at prayer time. [i]
Round towers ranged in height from approximately twenty to forty metres. Doorways may have been of Romanesque round headed or lintelled shaped whilst windows were small set high up in the drum. The towers interior was divided into several floors, each one reached by ladders inside the building. The roof was conical in shape. [ii]
Remains of sixty-five round towers are scattered across Ireland; soaring as high as thirty-four metres above ground level. With a probable construction period between seventh to thirteenth centuries the towers were at sites of well-known Christian churches from 5th to 12th centuries. Initially these were free standing structures. During later years monastic foundations were constructed around the towers. Principles used were the same for all: two walls of block & mortar with space in between with a core of rock rubble. Of the original sixty-five towers: twenty-five were built with limestone, thirteen of iron-rich, red sandstone whilst the rest were of balsalt, cray slate or granite. Thirteen towers retain their conical caps.[iii]
In his Irish Round Towers Lennox Barrow’s article on dimensions states that: ‘it is remarkable how little the main dimensions vary. In the great majority of towers, the circumference at base lies between 14 metres to 17 metres. The thickness of the wall at the lowest point on which it can be measured varies from 0.g metres to 1.4 metres. Most doorways were raised 15 metres to 45 metres above the ground. The higher you could build before making an opening in the wall; the stronger the base would be. Doorways. windows, story heights & diameter also follow clearly defined patterns, & we may well conclude that most of the towers were the work of teams of builders who moved from one monastery to another using the standard designs.’ Philip Callaghan discussed in Ancient Mysteries, Modern Visions that his research included ‘round towers may have been designed, constructed, utilized as huge resonant systems for the collection plus storage of metre-long wave lengths of magnetic & electromagnetic energy formed from the earth plus skies.’ He also stated that ‘the seemingly random geographical arrangement of the round towers throughout the Irish countryside actually mirrored the position of the stars in the northern sky during the time of the winter solstice.’ He discussed the probability that ‘the towers were powerful amplifiers of radio resonance from the atmosphere generated by lightning flashes around the world’: within another article from his The Mysterious Round Towers of Ireland Low Energy Radio in Nature: The Explorer’s Journal : Summer 1993 (Martin Gray) [iv]
From Armoy in County Antrim to Aghadoe outside Killarney there are sixty-five of these slender, tapered round towers in various degrees of survival. They range from thirteen complete to eight that merely now resemble stumps at not more than three metres in height. Co. Dublin has four towers whilst Counties Clare, Kildare, Kilkenny & Mayo have five remaining towers. Included in the above are Island sites i.e. Tory in Co. Donegal, Scattery at mouth of the Shannon, Inishmore off Co. Galway’s coast, Ram on Lough Neagh, Cealtra on the Clare side of Lough Derg & two on Devenish on Lower Lough Erne near Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. (Paul Ross) [v]
Mayo Round Towers are located at Aughagower, Balla, Killala, Meelick also Turlough.
Aughagower
Achadh Fhobhair means ‘Field of Springs.’ This eleventh century round tower was constructed within a monastic site founded by St. Senach in a small enclosure in the village centre. It was an important pilgrimage site. Tower’s height was 15.85 metres with a diameter of five metres. It had a 2.2 metres tripartite arch. The original arched doorway faced East. A second lintelled doorway was later an addition to the northwest of the drum with three lintelled windows installed. The original coursed masonry on the south side was of much better quality than that of the refurbishment during the 1960’s. Cap stone is missing also the tower has been damaged, it leans slightly to the north with that side higher than the south. [vi]
A church ruin & cemetery lie close to tower within an enclosure in the middle of the village. The tower stood sixteen metres high. Circumference above ground level was 5.76 metres with an external diameter of five metres. The south side is slightly lower than the north. The original doorway that faced east was just two metres from the external ground level, it had an arched three stone top with three stones in each jamb. The wooden ground floor doorway allowed entry into the tower. The inside ground level was approximately nine inches lower than the external level. Five rings of stone corbels for floor supports were included: the first just below the original doorway with the highest below the top of present wall. The later added doorway faced northwest at ground-level & was square-headed. A modern doorway allows access to ground floor. Severe fire damage is visible to original door. Tochar Paidraig runs through this monastic site between Ballintubber Abbey & Croagh Patrick or its local name ‘The Reek.’ [vii]
Legend reported that the cap stone was struck by lightning with the result that the cap landed on a hill in Teevinish over half-a-mile away. Brought to the church by a woman who carried it in her apron! Now preserved within the present church. [viii]
A monastery was founded in Aughagower by St. Senach between the fifth & seventh centuries. It was in existence until the thirteenth century. Earliest structure visible now is the fantastic sixteen metre leaning round tower constructed between 973 AD & 1013 AD. The tower’s original entrance door is about 2.2 metres above ground level however a lower entrance was added at a far later date. [ix]
West of a medieval church in Aughagower is a much damaged & repaired tenth century tower. [x]
An article by Suzette Hughes The Round Tower of Aughagower is published in Westport’s Historical Society’s journal Cathair na Mart 2008 no. 26 (pages 50-55)
A YouTube video of round tower with church ruins by Dr. Oliver Whyte may be viewed at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKjRYpSRTk0
Balla
This early monastic site was funded by St. Mochuu a Cronan Mochua a disciple of St. Cartage of Lismore during the sixth century. Tower was constructed with red & brown coursed sandstone. Lawlor described it as a ‘rogue tower’ in his publication Irish Round Tower 2005. (Collins Press) Two doorways with upper lintelled windows face East. Two bullaun stones are located on east & west of drum. A single small window was constructed on the towers side. [xiv]
An offset of large rocks at base of tower approximately are twenty to twenty – five centimetres in width wide & six centimetres in height. Circumference at base approx. 16.5 metres with an extended drum of five & a quarter-metres. [xv]
A YouTube video of Balla round tower may be viewed at this link: https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=utube+video+balla+round+tower+mayo#id=1&vid=90cdbae70477719d9e4669cacced11f3&action=click
Killala
Killala round tower is one of the best examples of a complete Mayo tower. Possibly founded by St. Patrick. A notable bulge half-way up drum was caused by a lightning strike. It was constructed with limestone. At 25.5 metres in height it stands on a one metre plinth composed of twenty stones. A doorway 3.5 metres faces south -south east. On the last floor beneath roof are three windows that face east-north east, south-south east also west. The original doorway of brown limestone blocks contrasts with the grey of tower drum. [xvi]
Killala tower is eighty-four feet in height. It stands on a three foot high plinth with a doorway one foot above ground level. [xvii]
According to Lennox Barrow in Round Towers of Ireland 1979 (Gill & Macmillan ) Killala round tower sits on an offset that is more like a plinth composed of twenty large stones with smaller stones below them. Depending on whether the tower is measured from ground level or plinth offset: it is 2.98 metres or 3.8 metres in height. Circumference is 15.78 metres with a diameter 5.02 metres. An arched doorway faces south-south east. On the drum face are three lintelled windows. The traditional four windows in bell story are angled-headed but slightly skewed. Constructed with limestone with a three stone arch of doorway produced of a light brown sandstone that contrasts with the grey of tower. It was reported during 1779 that the roof & mid-section had been damaged by lightening. Repairs by the OPW were carried out during 1841. [xviii]
A YouTube of Killala round tower may be viewed at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se2p3L5kqB4
Meelick
Meelick or ‘Mileac’ round tower near Swinford was established inside an early monastic site. It now stands at 25.5 metres high with its cap missing. The door was 3.45 metres above ground level. Possibly it had five or six floors in the original drum. Constructed during the eleventh or twelfth centuries with evenly coursed limestone. Height was 21.5 metres with a diameter of 5.45 metres. Tower has a southeast faced arched doorway with an extremely long sill stone that includes jambs. The arch was comprised of five or six yoassar. Six windows on the drum with two lower ones angled-headed also the upper four were lintelled. A cross slab decorated with a superb interlacing design features an inscription: Or Do Cricour ‘ or Or Do Criene’ translated as ‘A Prayer for Cricore.’ Two offsets are visible on the northwest side of tower. [xix]
Meelick tower was constructed between 923 to 1013 AD. It stood sixty-six feet in height with a doorway at eleven feet above ground level. An inscription from the tenth or eleventh century was Inscribed at base of tower. [xx]
The diameter of tower was 5.45 metres with a circumference of 17.10 metres. The five-stone arched doorway was 3.45 metres with jamb stones carefully crafted with a wide sill stone that extended to the left more than a metre past the door case. It was reported that there was a vault on the second story of drum. Due to the slight sloping ground offset is visible on southeast of tower & two visible on northwest side of which one appears to be undressed rock. [xxi]
The tower was constructed by St. Broccaidh with his monks. Round tower was repaired during the 1800’s. [xxii]
Constructed during 923-1013 AD on the site of an ecclesiastical complex this Meelick tower was founded by St. Broccaidh once the principal abbey in the barony of Gallan. It served as a refuge for the monks. Tower stands twenty-two metres in height with a circumference of over seventeen metres at the base. Cap is missing but the doorway is visible at 3.5 m above the ground. A stone floor is over a vault is above the doorway. The stonework consisted of sandstone that gleams with quartz: it has patches of lichen in places. At the foot of the tower is an early gravestone with a crudely Interlaced cross & border with an Irish Inscription from the tenth or eleventh centuries: ‘Or Oit Do Grien’ ‘a prayer for Griene’. (Brian Hoban) [xxiii]
This site has a YouTube video of tower: https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=meelick+round+tower+utube#id=2&vid=ffa5338e5d1ea933b79d78d9d6fc271f&action=click
Meelick round tower image features in Lynch Rónán 2020 Mayo Atlantis Return of Ancient (Ireland Press Westport ) (page 78 )
Turlough
Turlough or ‘Turlach’ a ‘dry place’ round tower is situated on a hill. First reference to Turlough tower was a drawing dated 1792 that showed the cap in a ruinous state. The round tower is offset at its lowest side. It lacks the traditional pointed capstone. A cruciform shaped eighteen century church is within the monastic settlement. Tradition stated the site was established during the eleventh century. It is a smaller than average tower as it is just under twenty-three metres. The height is reputed to be 22.85 metres & has a circumference of 5.5 metres. The original arched door is approximately four metres above ground level. The angle-headed bell-story windows echo the drum’s shape. They face just left of the cardinal points. Four large-angled-shaped windows were oriented south with each faced left of the four cardinal points. Below the original door at ground level (beside the eighteenth-century Church of Ireland ruins) appears to be a later doorway. Repairs by the OPW occurred during 1880: http://www.roundtowers.org/turlough/
This nineteenth century Turlough round tower was unusual in its short or squat stature. Images of the tower feature at this link: https://visionsofthepastblog.com/
YouTube videos of Turlough round tower may be viewed at these links: https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=turlough+round+tower+utube#id=2&vid=fcaf2b55ff4a2c8e40e899328f0e7eaf&action=click
/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Q3KX8k25g (by Dr. Oliver Whyte)
Turlough round tower is referenced with images in Lynch Rónán 2020 Mayo Atlantis Return of Ancient (Ireland Press Westport ) (pages 74 /75) (NBC)
Additional Information
The idea that ‘towers were ‘antennae’ & forces of energy was trialled in an experiment of Turlough Round Tower when it was soaked in a diamagnetic solution of Epsom salts, then allowed to dry naturally: thin force lines spaced evenly at one millimetre appeared up the tower. On the conical roof at the top of the force line spiralled up to the point. At certain heights up the tower the force lines became much thicker bands. These correlate precisely with the floor levels in the actual towers.’ Enigma of the Towers Callaghan Professor Philip 1997 (Kindred Spirit) [xxiv]
This may be of interest The Round Towers of Ireland by Henry O’ Brien: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/42538/42538-h/42538-h.htm
Images with information may be viewed at these links: https://visionsofthepastblog.com/category/round-tower/
https://sacredsites.com/europe/ireland/tower_of_cashel.html
Tom Gillespie penned an article in The Connaught Telegraph 18th May 2021 that references Killala tower with an image (page 25) (NBC)
Footnotes
[i] The Round Tower (https://westporttourism.com/ ) [Assessed 9th November 2019]
[ii] Mayo’s Monasteries (https://www.mayo.ie/visit/history/ ) [Assessed 8th November 2019}
[iii] Round Towers of Ireland (https://sacredsites.com/ ) [Assessed 9th November 2019]
[iv] Ibid
[v] Ireland’s Round Towers (https://www.catholicireland.net/ ) [Assessed 9th November 2019]
[vi] Aughagower Round Tower (http://www.megalithicireland.com/) [Assessed 8th November 2019]
[vii] Aughagower Round Tower (http://roundtowers.org/) [Assessed 9th November 2019]
[viii] The Round Tower (https://westporttourism.com/the-round-tower/) [Assessed 8th November 2019]
[ix] Aughagower Round Tower & Church (https://visionsofthepastblog.com/) [Assessed 9th November 2019]
[x] Saints & Stones (http://saintsandstones.net/) [Assessed 9th November 2019]
[xi] Irish Round Towers (http://www.roundtowers.org/turlough/) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
[xii] Ibid
[xiii] Turlough Round Tower (https://visionsofthepastblog.com/) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
[xiv] Balla Round Tower (http://www.megalithicireland.com/) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
[xv] Balla Irish Round Tower (http://roundtowers.org/) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
[xvi] The Round Tower (https://westporttourism.com/) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
[xvii] Saints and Stones (http://www.saintsandstones.net/) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
[xviii] Killala Irish Round Tower (http://roundtowers.org/) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
[xix] Meelick Round Tower (http://www.megalithicireland.com/) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
[xx] Meelick Round Tower, Swinford (https://curiousireland.ie/) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
[xxi] Meelick Irish Round Tower (http://roundtowers.org/) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
[xxii] Meelick County Mayo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
[xxiii] Meelick Tower (https://www.mayo-ireland.ie/en/towns-villages/bohola/history/meelick-round-tower.html) [Assessed 17th February2021]
[xxiv] The Enigma of the Towers (http://whale.to/b/callahan.html ) [Assessed 10th November 2019]
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