Standing in the southwest corner of Oughterard graveyard alongside the medieval parish church, this round tower represents one of the most architecturally significant examples in County Kildare. Rising to 10 meters in its current truncated state, with an external diameter of 4.8 meters and average wall thickness of 1.1 meters, the surviving lower portion demonstrates exceptional medieval stonework.

Unique Architectural Features

What makes Oughterard’s round tower particularly remarkable is its ground-level entrance—an extremely rare feature among Irish round towers. The round-headed granite doorway sits just 2.5 meters above ground level and faces east, with slightly inwardly inclining jambs that demonstrate sophisticated stone-cutting techniques. This low entrance height is paralleled only at Scattery Island in County Clare, making Oughterard one of just two Irish round towers with essentially ground-level access.

The choice of granite for the doorway contrasts with the limestone construction of the main structure, indicating the builders selected this harder stone specifically for the entrance—likely both for its durability and its distinctive appearance against the limestone walls.

Construction and Interior Organisation

The tower is built from coursed limestone masonry that reflects the high-quality stonework typical of important ecclesiastical sites. Three distinct floor levels can be identified within the surviving structure, indicating the tower’s original multi-story organization for different functions—likely storage on the ground floor, living or workspace on the middle level, and bell chamber at the top.

One round-headed window survives at first-floor level, facing south to provide light to the interior spaces. This window, like the doorway, follows early Irish ecclesiastical architectural traditions with its simple round-headed design.

Historical and Archaeological Significance

The tower’s ground-level entrance places it among the earliest phase of Irish round tower construction, when security concerns were less paramount than in later examples with elevated doorways. This accessibility suggests Oughterard’s tower may have served different functions from the more fortress-like examples built during periods of Viking activity.

The combination of the unusual entrance height, high-quality masonry, and strategic use of different stone types makes Oughterard invaluable for understanding the development and regional variations of Irish round tower architecture.

Conservation Status

Both the round tower and the adjacent medieval church are protected as National Monuments in State ownership (No. 190), ensuring their preservation for future generations. This protection is particularly important given the tower’s unique architectural features and its rarity as one of only two ground-level entrance examples in Ireland.