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Castledermot Round Tower

Coordinates: 52°54′38″N 6°50′06″W / 52.910458°N 6.834934°W / 52.910458; -6.834934
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Castledermot Round Tower
Cloigtheach Dhíseart Diarmada
Religion
AffiliationChurch of Ireland
Location
LocationChurch Lane, Castledermot,
County Kildare, Ireland
Castledermot Round Tower is located in Castledermot
Castledermot Round Tower
Shown within Castledermot
Castledermot Round Tower is located in Ireland
Castledermot Round Tower
Castledermot Round Tower (Ireland)
Geographic coordinates52°54′38″N 6°50′06″W / 52.910458°N 6.834934°W / 52.910458; -6.834934
Architecture
StyleIrish round tower
Groundbreaking10th century
Specifications
Height (max)20 m (66 ft)
MaterialsGranite

Castledermot Round Tower is a 10th-century round tower in Castledermot, County Kildare, Ireland. The tower, and the high crosses nearby, are a National Monument.[1]

Building

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The tower is complete, although the original cap has been replaced with battlements.[2] It is composed of rounded granite boulders embedded in mortar.[2]

History

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Castledermot was founded as a monastic settlement c. 800 AD. The bishop-poet Cormac mac Cuilennáin was buried here in AD 938 and the round tower was probably built around that time.[3] The community ceased to exist some time after 1073.[4]

The crosses

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East face of the north cross

There are two high crosses:

References

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  1. ^ Castledermot Round Tower, Megalithic Ireland
  2. ^ a b Castledermot Round Tower Co. Kildare, Roundtowers.org
  3. ^ "Castledermot Church and Round Tower", Groses's Antiquities of Ireland (1792)
  4. ^ Castledermot Round Tower, Crosses and Church Archived 2015-09-06 at the Wayback Machine, Chooseireland.com