Roscam

Round Tower

This four storey round tower is situated inside a large ecclesiastical enclosure on the shore of Oranmore Bay. This site has associations with St Patrick and St Odran, a brother of St Ciarán of Clonmacnoise. The D-shaped enclosure is 200 metres N-S and 190 metres E-W with the tower standing in the northern section. It is 10.98 metres high with a plain square headed doorway, facing the southeast, located just 1.1 metres above the present ground level. An interesting feature of the drum is the presence of putlog holes in the external masonry, these were normally used for temporary scaffolding during construction. Because the putlog holes are still visible, plus the addition of a parapet to the top of the drum, it might suggest that the tower was unfinished. We do know that the monastery was attacked by norse vikings in 807, but little else is known about the history of this beautifully located site.