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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Round tower

Donaghmore (Navan Lower By.), County Meath, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Round tower, Donaghmore, County Meath, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Donaghmore (Navan Lower By.)
County
Meath
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Round Tower
Latest-edition OS map
Round Tower
Coordinates
53.67046, -6.66245
SMR number
ME025-015002-

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1799 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1811 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight E-facing slope, with the SW-NE River Boyne in its steep-sided valley c. 450m to the E and S. The round tower (ext. diam. 4.98m; H 26.6m) with a round-headed doorway c. 3m above ground level facing E which is surmounted by crucifixion scene (Barrow 1979, 162-6) is at the W edge of a subrectangular graveyard (dims c. 45m NE-SW; c. 40m NW-SE) defined by masonry walls. The tower was consolidated in 1841 by a local landowner, who is probably responsible for the lack of openings and the flat cap at the top. Issac Butler writing c. 1749 describes ‘four windows under a pyramid’ (Butler 1892, 126).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

See attached general view and view of the doorway.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload/revision: 27 June, 2014

References

Butler, I. 1892 A journey to Lough Derg (circa. 1749). Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 22, 13-24, 126-36.

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

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
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