Situated toward the bottom of a south-facing slope and uniquely incorporated into the western perimeter of the graveyard, this round tower at Clones represents one of Ireland’s most architecturally distinctive examples. With its completely plain features and simple construction techniques, the tower provides valuable insights into the earlier phases of Irish round tower development and the complex relationship between these monuments and pre-existing burial grounds.

Architectural Simplicity and Early Dating

The tower’s most striking characteristic is its architectural restraint; “the doorway and lights are completely plain with simple lintels, suggesting an early date.” This absence of decorative elements contrasts sharply with later round towers that incorporated Romanesque carving, elaborate doorway surrounds, or sophisticated window designs. The plain lintelled construction places Crossmoyle among the earlier examples of Irish round tower building, possibly dating to the 10th or early 11th century.

Distinctive Doorway and Construction

The “lintelled and battered doorway, which entered at the first floor,” faces east and sits approximately 1.5 meters above the level of the graveyard. The battered design—where the doorway slopes inward—represents a construction technique that provided additional structural strength while creating the characteristic profile associated with early Irish ecclesiastical architecture.

At doorway level, the tower measures 2.7 meters internal diameter and approximately 4.9 meters external diameter, creating substantial walls that provided both security and structural stability. The thickness of these walls would have been essential for supporting the tower’s impressive height of approximately 23 meters.

Interior Organisation and Construction Evidence

The tower’s interior reveals sophisticated engineering despite its plain external appearance. At the first-floor level, “the floor of the tower was supported on rebates,” while “above this three floors were supported only partly on offsets and partly on beams set into the walls.” This hybrid support system demonstrates the builders’ practical approach to interior organization, using stone offsets where possible but supplementing with timber beams where needed.

This combination of stone and timber construction techniques reflects both the builders’ engineering skills and their practical adaptation to the constraints of circular construction, where creating level floors required creative solutions.

Archaeological Investigation of the 1840s

The tower’s interior underwent significant archaeological investigation in the 1840s when it was “cleared of rubble.” This early archaeological work revealed “two archaeological floors, the lower with mortar,” providing evidence of the tower’s original internal organization and construction techniques.
Most significantly, “beneath the mortar was a jumble of inhumed remains, undoubtedly disturbed in building the tower from a pre-existing cemetery.” This discovery provides crucial evidence about the relationship between round towers and earlier burial grounds, showing that this tower was deliberately built over an existing cemetery.

Evidence of Site Continuity

The presence of disturbed human remains beneath the tower’s foundation reveals the site’s long history of religious use. The medieval builders clearly chose to construct their round tower on ground that already held sacred significance as a burial place, demonstrating the continuity of religious activity at Crossmoyle across different periods of Irish Christianity.

This pattern; building new ecclesiastical structures over earlier sacred sites—reflects common practice in medieval Ireland, where locations with established religious associations were preferred for new monastic foundations.

Negative Archaeological Results

Archaeological testing conducted in the early 21st century provides important information about the site’s broader context. Testing approximately 30 meters west of the round tower “produced no related material,” and further testing about 35 meters southwest “had a similar negative result.”

These negative results suggest that the round tower stands largely in isolation from other substantial medieval structures, indicating either that associated buildings have been completely destroyed or that the monastic complex was relatively small and focused around the tower itself.

Unique Incorporation into Graveyard Perimeter

The tower’s incorporation “into the perimeter of the graveyard at W” represents a unique form of preservation among Irish round towers. Rather than standing as a freestanding monument or being completely enclosed within later structures, the Crossmoyle tower has been made part of the graveyard’s boundary system.

This integration has likely contributed to the tower’s excellent preservation by providing structural support and protection while maintaining its visibility and accessibility. The arrangement also emphasizes the tower’s continued association with burial and religious observance.

Complete Survival to Cap Level

The tower “survives to the level of the cap (H c. 23m), which is missing,” making it one of the most complete Irish round towers despite losing its uppermost element. This near-complete preservation provides invaluable evidence about round tower proportions, construction techniques, and architectural development during the early medieval period.

The loss of only the cap—while unfortunate—is a common pattern among Irish round towers, where the uppermost sections were most vulnerable to weather damage and structural failure.

Conservation Status

The tower’s designation as National Monument No. 111 in State ownership ensures professional conservation and protection. This status is particularly important for such a well-preserved early example that provides crucial evidence about the development of Irish round tower architecture.

Archaeological and Historical Significance

Crossmoyle’s round tower combines architectural, archaeological, and historical significance in unique ways. Its plain construction provides evidence of early round tower design, the disturbed burials reveal site continuity and medieval building practices, and the negative archaeological testing helps define the extent and character of the associated medieval settlement.