ROUND TOWER. Numerona lofty towers, tapering from the base to a conical cap or roof, which crowns the summit, are found in Ireland, and are almost peculiar to that country. That they are of great antiquity appears from their having been considered ancient even in the 12th century, when the British connection with Ireland began. Had they been then in actual use, it is not probable that so accurate a writer as Giraldus Cambrensis, who had been in Ireland, and circum stantially describes them, should not also have mentioned to what purpose they were applied. Dr. Petrie, 'Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ireland,' however, quotes several records between the years 948 and 1170, in which bell towers are referred to, which ho seems to be able to identify, iu some instances at least, with the existing round-towers.
There are 117 of these towers, or of the sites where they once stood, now known, and there is reason to believe they were formerly more numerous. Some of them are still perfect, and preserve their conical roofs; hut only one, the tower of Devenish, possesses the singular ornament of an obtuse crescent rising from the cone, and somewhat resembling what is called the trident of Seeva.
Ardmore tower, near Waterford, had also, within the memory of man, this finishing ornament. In the other towers, the conical caps are either more or less injured, or have altogether vanished. Some few are topped by battlements, but these am all of more modern construction than the towers.
Though most of these round towers were evidently divided into stories, yet Cashel tower is smooth, and even polished on the inside from top to bottom. That at Ardmore was plastered with a very fine and thimble cement. The divisions are usually formed by projecting ledges for the flooring joists, which however in some instances were ivaerted in square holes in the wall, where the ends were still visible not many years ago.
On each floor there is one very small window, and immediately below the conical sap four windows may be traced in the greater number of towers ; in one there are five and in a few six windows ; and so many as eight appear in one or two of the towers. In a few
of these buildings no windows appear in the upper story—only one small loophole. In most of the towers the doors are at a considerable height above the ground, in one even twenty--four feet, in several fourteen, and in others only eight, seven, or six feet, but in none of them are there any traces to assist conjecture as to the mode of reaching those doors, except in those where the door is on the ground, or raised from it by a couple of steps.
The height of these towers varies greatly, one being only thirty-five feet, while the loftiest is one hundred and thirty, but the common raw is between eighty and a hundred feet. Some stand on circular bases, which form one or two deep steps round the tower. Thus Donoughinoro has a two-step base, each step or plinth being com posed of very huge blocks of stone. The basement of Kell's tower is square, and the stones are of great size. Killree and Aghavillor, both in the county of Kilkenny, have circular plinths fourteen inches deep, projecting six inches and resting upon a square base formed of great blocks of stone. The tower of Clondalkin, about five miles from Dublin, stands on massive stone-work; and St. Coll' inb's tower, at Londonderry, rises from a vaulted crypt. So also does that at Oughterard, in the county of Kilkenny.
In external character all the towers may be said to agree, since there is only ono which does not taper, and in that case the tower is cylin drical throughout its entire height. It is nicely faced, inside and out, with cogglo-stones, and filled up with rubble. Though all bear to each other the strongest family likeness, there are many striking differences in the mason-work and in the minor detail+. The stones iu some are truly chiselled, and closely and beautifully laid in fine cement. Some are only coarsely hammered, others merely faced, and of various shape,' and sizes, but still well fitted to each other. Some towers are built of round coggle-stonea. In all the mortar is as hard as the imbedded stones.