Round tower

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 114. Built with sandstone and limestone blocks standing 96 feet [29m] high (Crawford 1924, 31-45). Circumference at base of main body c. 17.5m, circumference of foundation level c. 20.75m. It contains a Romanesque doorway with four orders of sandstone blocks at first floor level in the E face. At the W is a single stone round-arch window, at the S is a pointed arched window of four stones and at the top of the tower is a two stone pointed arch window at each point of the compass. The tower is six storeys high each wooden floor being carried on an offset. The two first floors were not lighted by any windows, the third storey was lit by a doorway on the E face which was approx. 15 ft. above the level of the ground. The fourth floor was lit by a pointed window in the S face, small square window in the N face at fifth floor level, and the sixth floor was lit by a square window on the W face. Four triangular headed windows facing the four cardinal points are situated on the top floor immediately beneath the conical cap. The internal arch of the doorway is decorated with lozenge patterns or chevrons while the doorway is decorated with typical Romanesque features such as human faces on the angles of the capitals.
The round tower (LA018-031005-) is the only surviving feature of the early foundation. It probably dates to the twelfth century, though its base may be earlier. Built of sandstone and limestone, it is six storeys high (H 29.6m) and is roofed with a conical cap (Barrow 1979, 135-9). No floors survive. It is renowned for its Romanesque doorway, visible at first floor level, which has four receding orders, in two pairs, and is finely decorated with human heads with intertwined hair. A window decorated in a similar style is visible at second floor level. Slit, square-headed and pointed windows are on the other floors.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 17 December 2007

References

Lennox Barrow, G. 1979 The round towers of Ireland: a study and gazetteer. Dublin. The Academy Press.

Crawford, H. 1924 The round tower and castle of Timahoe. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 54, 31-45.