Unofficial guide. Not the National Monuments Service, the OPW, Fáilte Ireland or the landowner. Disclaimer
At a glance
- TypeRound tower
- Date or period mentioned1979
- Recorded sizeext. diameter 5.1m; H c. 6.7m
- StatusNational Monument
What to look for
- Windows
- Church beside
Picked out from the Archaeological Survey description below.
Can you visit?
- No source says it is open to the public.Most monuments in Ireland stand on private farmland.
- Ask the landowner before crossing fields, close gates, leave the stones as you find them.Visiting responsibly
History and description
The round tower stands close to the NW angle of the present church (CV014-028003-) and pre-dates it. Its lower courses (ext. diam. 5.1m; H c. 6.7m) are well-set but the top (total surviving H 11.6m) was re-built with a cruder finish (Barrow 1979, 56).
Full archaeological record 157 words
The round tower stands close to the NW angle of the present church (CV014-028003-) and pre-dates it. Its lower courses (ext. diam. 5.1m; H c. 6.7m) are well-set but the top (total surviving H 11.6m) was re-built with a cruder finish (Barrow 1979, 56). The round-headed doorway that has a raised architrave is at the first floor facing SE, and the only surviving window is round-headed and re-set in the upper part of the wall over the doorway (O’Keeffe 2004, 143). The floors were supported on off-sets (Barrow 1979, 56-7). Two stones on the lower part of the round tower (H c. 2.2m over ground), facing E and N, have images in relief of a hen and a cock both facing left, which is not fully understood and rarely represented in Ireland (McCabe 2017). The architrave around the doorway could date the tower to the eleventh century.
This is a National Monument in state care (No. 4).
References
- Kirk, C. 2022 The Church and Priory at Drumlane. The Spark: border counties local history review, 34, 38-40.
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Updated 27 July 2018 · Based on the Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
More round towers nearby
Mullynagolman Round Tower
Round tower · Mullynagolman · Cavan · 6.7 km away
Visitor site National MonumentClones Round Tower and Sarcophagus
Round tower · Crossmoyle · Monaghan · 21 km away
Visitors' notes
Badges are opinions of visitors - not verified facts. One vote per badge and visitor; no account needed.
Best time to visit
What's missing on this page?
Share a tip to find it
Share a local tradition or story
Suggest a correction
Suggest the right map location
Report a duplicate page
Ask a question
Do not include personal data. See our privacy notice.
Around Drumlane Round Tower
Other heritage nearby
- Drumlane AbbeyAbbey or friary · 0.0 km
- Cloughoughter CastleCastle · 4.7 km
- Trinity Island AbbeyAbbey or friary · 8.1 km
- St. Felimp's WellHoly well · 9.8 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 32 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 5 holy wellsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 5 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 2 megalithic tombsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 abbey or friaryArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 monastic siteArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 ancient churchArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- Killeshandra LoopWalking Trail · 5.9 km · nearest point 4.6 km
- Turbet Island Looped WalkWalking Trail · 1.6 km · nearest point 4.7 km
- Killykeen Forest Park - Gartanoul TrailWalking Trail · 5.3 km · nearest point 4.8 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- Killykeen Forest ParkForests · 5.5 km
- Killykeen Forest ParkForests · 5.9 km
- Hilton ParkHistoric stays · 18 km
Other attractions nearby
- Lough OughterHistoric Houses and Castle · 4.7 km
- Adventure LegendWalking · 5.9 km
- St. Fethlimidh’s CathedralHistoric Houses and Castle · 9.7 km
- The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint FelimHistoric Houses and Castle · 10 km
What's on nearby
- Ireland and the EU - Celebrating Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union.2026-11-12 · 11 km · free