the round tower

The Swords Round Tower is 75 feet high and 55 feet in circumference. It has a diameter of 18 feet. It was probably higher originally, because the upper portion has been rebuilt several times during the 1400 A.D. and 1700 A.D. period, the cross on the top belonging to the last rebuilding about 1702 A.D. The proportions would indicate that the top was then shortened. The lower part of the Tower is now hidden under centuries of accumulated rubble around the base, as these doorways were always 15 feet or so above ground level. The Towers were entered by a ladder, which was pulled up into the interior. There are projecting stones inside the walls to support four floors, which were connected by a series of ladders inside.