Standing proudly on a flat-topped hill surrounded by pasture, this impressive round tower at Kilree rises 29.3 meters and represents one of County Kilkenny’s finest examples of medieval ecclesiastical architecture. Named after St. Ruidhche, a female saint commemorated on February 8th, the site forms part of an important ecclesiastical complex that includes a church 7 meters to the southeast and a high cross 55 meters to the west.

Unique Foundation System

The tower displays an architectural feature found at only one other location in Ireland. According to architectural historian Lalor, the structure shows “two offsets, visible on the portion of the wall in the field immediately west of the graveyard, which stand on a monolithic rectangular pad-foundation.” This sophisticated foundation system is paralleled only at Aghaviller round tower, approximately 6 kilometers south, suggesting either a regional building tradition or the work of the same master builders.

This monolithic pad-foundation represents advanced medieval engineering, distributing the tower’s enormous weight across a broader base and providing exceptional stability that has allowed the structure to survive for nearly a millennium.

Mixed Materials and Craftsmanship

The tower demonstrates careful material selection, built primarily from limestone rubble that is roughly coursed, with strategic use of higher-quality stone for important elements. O’Donovan’s 1839 description noted that “the doorway is constructed of splendid blocks of granite while the rest of the tower is built of limestone”—indicating the builders imported granite specifically for the entrance, emphasizing its importance and durability.

The round-headed doorway features a plain relief architrave and faces south, positioned at the typical elevated height for security. O’Donovan recorded precise measurements: 5 feet 9 inches (1.7 meters) high, tapering from 10 inches (0.54 meters) wide at the top to what appears to be a transcription error in his notes regarding the bottom width.

Detailed Historical Documentation

O’Donovan’s 1839 visit provides exceptional documentation of the tower’s interior organization and fenestration. He found the tower accessible via “a ladder of ropes…by which one can easily climb to the top, where a wooden floor is firmly fixed,” indicating the structure was being actively maintained and used.

His floor-by-floor description reveals a six-story organization: the first story below the doorway was dark, the second lit by the doorway itself, the third by a west-facing window 28 feet (8.5 meters) from the ground, the fourth by a north-facing quadrangular window, the fifth by an east-facing window, and the sixth by four windows “nearly facing the four cardinal points.”

Medieval Battlements and Late Modifications

One of the tower’s most distinctive features is its battlemented parapet, which O’Keeffe dates to the late medieval period. O’Donovan described “four other apertures over the sixth story and immediately beneath the destroyed roof of the tower which give the appearance of crenellated battlements.” These modifications transformed the tower’s appearance from a typical conical-capped round tower to a more fortress-like structure.

At the base of these battlements, “a number of large projecting stones around the circumference…probably functioned as drip-stones,” directing rainwater away from the walls and protecting the medieval masonry from water damage.

Conservation History

The Commissioners of Public Works carried out significant conservation work in 1945-46, during which “the strong growth of ivy on the upper storeys of the Round Tower was removed and the whole of the structure overhauled.” This intervention was crucial for the tower’s preservation, as ivy growth can severely damage medieval masonry through root penetration and moisture retention.

Architectural Significance

The combination of the unique pad-foundation system, mixed granite and limestone construction, and late medieval battlemented parapet makes Kilree’s round tower architecturally significant beyond its impressive height. The tower represents both sophisticated medieval engineering and centuries of adaptation, showing how these structures evolved to meet changing defensive and practical needs.