Round Tower

The round tower is SW of the present Church of Ireland church and the likely site of the daimhliag. It is now incorporated into the masonry wall of the graveyard (ME017-04434-). It was extant in 1076 as in that year Murchadh O’Melaghlin, King of Tara, was murdered in it (Cogan 1862-70, 1, 41). It is constructed on a plinth resting on rock outcrop. The entrance doorway on the N side is 1.5m above the raised level of the graveyard and is round-arched and of sandstone. The tower (int. diam. 2.6m at the doorway) has five floors and has five pointed windows at the top. The conical cap is missing. (Barrow 1979, 168) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

The round tower at Kells Upper was built by a monastic community, likely in the 9th or 10th century, and is associated with the early Christian site of Kells. It is significant as part of a major ecclesiastical center in medieval Ireland, known for its scriptorium and monastic scholarship.