Kilmallock

Round Tower

My first impression of the round tower at Kilmallock was one of amazement. This tall dramatic tower is built into the west wall of the collegiate church. The tower is best viewed from the west, but there is another dramatic view from inside the church. The tower has a fortified appearance, similar to some of the circular Norman tower houses. I presume this is because most of the tower was rebuilt in the late medieval period over several phases. All that remains of the original round tower are the bottom courses up to about three metres. You can clearly see the difference in the masonry of the upper courses. It is impossible to date the original tower, but looking at masonry used it does look quite early. The tower still contains putlock holes in the medieval section. There maybe little left of the original tower but this amazing structure, with it's adjoining church, is certainly worth viewing, along with some of the other monuments scattered around this historic town. There is a nice view of the tower from the narrow road that leads down to the nearby Dominican Priory.