Unofficial guide. Not the National Monuments Service, the OPW, Fáilte Ireland or the landowner. Disclaimer
At a glance
- TypeRound tower
- Recorded sizeD 4.8m, H 16.5m
- Condition (as surveyed)Ruined
- 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
Standing 5m W of the church (GA029-017002-) on W boundary wall of the graveyard. This ruined circular tower (D 4.8m, H 16.5m), which stands on a plinth, was a least three storeys in height.
Full archaeological record 90 words
Standing 5m W of the church (GA029-017002-) on W boundary wall of the graveyard. This ruined circular tower (D 4.8m, H 16.5m), which stands on a plinth, was a least three storeys in height. It is built of roughly cut and regularly coursed limestone save for the plain round-headed doorway on NE side which is of sandstone. This stands 4.55m above ground level. There are traces of a window on NNE side in the broken wall just above 2nd-floor level. (Kelly 1901b; O'Flanagan 1927, Vol. 1, 92-5; Barrow 1979, 97-8)
References
- The monument was taken into Ownership under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 - National Monument 48.
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Updated 05 August 2010 · Based on the Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
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Around Kilbennan Round Tower
Other heritage nearby
- Kilbennan ChurchAncient church · 0.0 km
- Kilbennan MonasteryMonastic site · 0.0 km
- Tuam High CrossHigh cross · 3.7 km
- Feartagar CastleCastle · 4.8 km
- Creevaghbaun WellHoly well · 9.8 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 99 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 8 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 8 monastic sitesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 8 holy wellsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 5 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 3 abbeys & friariesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 3 high crossesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- Castlegrove Woods trailWalking Trail · 1.5 km · nearest point 4.2 km
- Kilmaine - Killernan LoopWalking Trail · 5.1 km · nearest point 15 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- Richmond Esker Nature ReserveNature reserves · 18 km
- DunmoreWalled towns · 13 km
Other attractions nearby
- Knockma Hill - Hill of MaeveWalking · 7.8 km
Excavations nearby
- E4062 Cloondarone A, County GalwayRoad-scheme excavation report (TII) · 5.7 km
- E4063 Cloondarone B, County GalwayRoad-scheme excavation report (TII) · 6.1 km