Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 231 



pears as a frequent decoration on the mouldings which cap the Corinthian mo- 

 dillions in the palace of Dioclesian at Spalatro, erected between the years 290 

 and 300. In like manner, of the lozenge pannelling, enriched with rosettes, 

 which decorates the soffit of the innermost recessed arch, examples are found 

 on the fragments of Roman architecture discovered in the subterranean gal- 

 leries of Poitiers, which fragments the most eminent antiquaries of France 

 consider to be of the close of the third century. See Mcmoires de la Societe 

 des Antiquaries de V Quest, tome premier, p. 57. 



To the preceding remarks I should add, that this interesting doorway is 

 built of a hard, siliceous sandstone, of light colour, and that the ornaments are 

 carved in very low relief. Its general form may be described as consisting 

 originally of four concentric arches, one recessed beyond the other, and resting 

 on round pilastres, or semi-columns, with flat imposts or capitals. The orna- 

 ments on the external arch have been long destroyed, and their place was sup- 

 plied with rude masonry at the commencement of the last century. The 

 ornaments on the recessed arches are also much injured, and the fourth, or 

 innermost arch, is the only one now remaining in tolerable preservation. The 

 external arch is seven feet two inches in height, and three feet eight inches in 

 width ; the second arch is six feet ten inches in height, and three feet two 

 inches in width ; the third arch is six feet seven inches in height, and two feet 

 ten inches in width ; and the fourth, or innermost arch, is five feet eight inches 

 in height, two feet one inch in width, and one foot three inches in depth. The 

 entire depth of the doorway, or thickness of the wall, is four feet ; and the 

 height of its floor from the ground is fifteen feet. The floor of this doorway is 

 raised by a step of eight inches in height at the innermost arch, and it is pro- 

 bable that the other divisions may have been raised above each other by similar 

 steps, as I shall presently show an example of such an arrangement in a door- 

 way of similar construction. 



The opinions which I have thus ventured to express as to the age of the 

 doorway of the Eound Tower of Kildare, and consequently as to the antiquity, 

 in Ireland, of the style of architecture which it exhibits, will, I think, receive 

 additional support from the agreement of many of its ornaments with those 

 seen in the better preserved, if not more beautiful, doorway of the Round Tower 

 of Timahoe, in the Queen's County, a doorway which seems to be of cotem- 



