Clondalkin

Round Tower

Built on the site of a monastery founded by St Mochua in the 7th century, the round tower at Clondalkin is one of four remaining towers in County Dublin, the other three are located at Swords, Lusk and Rathmichael. The tower stands at 27.5 metres high and because the stones used in construction are of a rough undressed variety of local calp limestone, it is thought to be an early round tower. The drum is also extremely narrow, the diameter being only 4.04 metres at its widest point. A most unusual feature of this tower is the very pronounced buttress at the base of the tower. This buttress is constructed of a different variety of stone to the main tower, which may suggest it was added later. At present there is a series of steps cut into the buttress in the late 19th century, winding around the buttress leading up 3.9 metres to the base of the east facing doorway. Granite stones were used for the jambs, sill and lintel of the doorway. The fact that the lintel is flat is another feature of the earlier round towers. There is a total of six windows in the tower, of which the four highest face the cardinal points. On the opposite side of the road is the present church of St John which has two early crosses and a granite font which are also remnants of the monastery. The monastery was plundered in 832 AD and after the viking king Olaf the White built a fort here in c.852 it was plundered again in 866. Not far from here is the site of St Brigids Holy Well.

Situated: Very easy, the tower is siuated on Tower Road in the centre of Clondalkin Village, Dublin.

Discovery Map 50: O 0691 3139. Last visit Nov 2011.

Longitude: 6° 23' 43" W

Latitude: 53° 19' 19" N

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Photos: Jim Dempsey