Armoy Round Tower
Map Reference: D078332 (3078, 4332)
An early monastery is said to have been founded at Armoy by St Olcan, a disciple of St Patrick. Nothing is known about it. The only trace of an early monastery is the stump of the Round Tower which stands in the grounds of the local parish church. The tower is about 11m high and has three storeys.
General View
The doorway faces south and is 1.6m above ground level. It is 1.8m high, 50cm wide at the base and 46cm wide at the top. The lintel is cut into a monolithic arch with a curved moulding 18cm wide and 2cm deep. This may have been carried down the jambs but they are in very poor condition. When the interior of the tower was excavated in 1843 a conical capstone was discovered. Several pins made from antlers and a length of line made from twisted hair were also discovered. These are some of the very few items of builders' tools discovered in a Round Tower. The discovery of the capstone indicates that there was once a conical cap but there is no indication of the original height.
The Doorway
For details of other Round Towers click on the links below
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