Grangefertagh Round Tower is the only remnant of an early monastery founded by St Ciaran of Seir. The original site is thought to date back to the 6th Century.
The site was raided by Vikings in 861 and in 1156 the High King Murtagh McNeale burned the tower.
The tower is 31 meters in height and that is with only a small part of the towers cap remaining.
The diameter of the tower is 4.8 meters.
Their are nine windows in total, six of which are angle headed & the remaining three are lintelled.
The doorway is 3.3 meters from ground level and as you can see in image 3 has had all of it's stone work removed.
This is said to have occurred when a farmer took the stones to help in the building of a fireplace!
The church is dated 13th Century and has had it's main section turned into a handball alley.
In one small section of the church is the tomb of Brian MacGiolla Phadraigh Lord of Ossory.
Access - The tower is very visible from the M8.
Parking can be found in a couple of spots close to the site.
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