towers round ireland

Having started off its life possibly as a Norman castle after 1333, this tower was extensively repaired by Hugh Boy O'Dogherty in 1602 to act as a bridgehead for the Spaniards who were supposed to land on the Inishowen Peninsula.

It was burned by the English shortly afterwards, but was repaired either in 1641 or in 1689, and used as a manor. it is beautifully situated beside the Crana stream, but its three storeys contain little of any architectural or artistic interest....

An early Christian monastery was founded here by St. Colman Mac Lenen who died around 600, but all its buildings were burned in 1137. The cathedral of the present Church of Ireland Diocese was started around 1250, but because of much modernisation, comparatively little of this early church can be seen. The chancel has been heavily modernised; the chancel arch was blocked up in 1705 and removed completely in 1775. The east window was inserted in1856. The Cathedral's most famous Bishop was George...

St. Patrick is said to have founded the first monastery here. There is a well preserved Round Tower, which lacks its top windows. It is to be suspected that these originally existed, but were not included in the restoration works when the conical cap was replaced about 150 years ago.

The tower is unusual in that there is a Crucifixion about the round-headed doorway, and there are heads beside the arch. The nearby church was built in the 15th century, but it replaces a Romanesque c...