Drumlane

Round Tower

The monastic site at Drumlane is beautifully situated on the northern banks of Garfiney Lough. It was a delightful drive out to this remote site. The autumnal colours of the surrounding countryside were simply gorgeous. It was wonderful to see the 12th century round tower bathed in soft autumn light. The 11.6 metre high tower has a number of very distinctive features. The first and most obvious being its construction which appears to have been in two phases. The lower half of the drum, up to the sill of the only remaining window, is constructed of superbly crafted limestone masonry. The upper part of the drum was built using rough limestone rubble. The arched doorway is well made with a simple but lovely architrave frame, pictured below centre. The round-headed window is another unusual feature for a round tower.

On the northeast side of the tower about two metres above ground level there are medieval carvings, believed to represent twobirds, a cock and a hen. These carvings were in the shade on my visit but hopefully I will get better images on a future visit. At some stage St Mary's Church was extended to the west and now almost blocks the view of the tower's doorway. See Drumlane Priory for more information about the monastic site.