Round Tower

A round tower to SW of church (LA032-020002-) (Crawford and Leask 1925, 84) was destroyed in 1703 (Fitzgerald 1910, 189, 198). Fitzgerald (1910, 189) recorded that on 'Monday ye 8th Day of March 1702/3, that day the Steeple of Killeshan undermined and flung down by one Bambrick, imployed by Captain Wolseley, in Three Days Works. 1702/3, 8th March at 3 of the clocke in ye afternoon ye Steeple fell to ye ground, being measured it was 105 feet [32m] high, or in length'. A second reference to the round tower dating from 1709 recorded that 'near the foot of the Mountain stands the old church of Killeshen, of which is a very old building. Here lately stood over again the Doore of the Church, one of the old round steeples which, I am told was very high old and well built, so that when the owner of the place had it fallen, it came to the ground in one solid piece, and was not even by the fall against the ground so broke, but that several pieces yet remain sticking together, so that you can easily discover what this building was. It plainly appears to be of the same building & age with the adjacent Church (LA032-020002-)'. No visible surface remains of any round tower in NW quadrant of graveyard (LA032-020004-). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Updated by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 26 March 2015

The Round Tower at Killeshin was built in the 11th or 12th century by an early Christian monastic community, likely associated with the nearby church. It is significant as one of the few surviving round towers in Ireland, though it was destroyed in 1703.