214 



assigned date. It would however be both curious and useful to 

 compare the style of workmanship with that of the other towers,* 

 and with the Danish tower at Waterford, erected about twelve 

 years earlier. The hexagonal shape of this tower in some degree 

 resembles that of the great Khorassan tower of Goom-buz-e-caous. 



KilcuUen, which is one of the loftiest towers, being an hundred 

 and thirty feet high, has a very peculiar door, which gradually 

 decreases in breadth from the bottom to the springing of the horse- 

 shoe arch which forms the head ; so that it resembers a huge key- 

 hole. -f 



At Drumcleve the tower, now imperfect, is described as having 

 two doors, one of them surmounted with an ornamental moulding ; 

 and the remaining lower part of one at Dysert O'Dea, in the same 

 county of Clare, affords another specimen of ornamented work, which 

 resembles that of Ard more in having a belting course eight inches 

 deep round the outside, just above the lower story. :{: 



The towers of Timahoe and Kildare both have their entrances 

 embellished by cut stone mouldings, among whicli the chevron 

 seems to hold a place § 



Near the cathedral of Cloyne stands a tower now ninety-two feet 

 high ; it is built of round stones from the sea shore, which were pre- 

 pared with the greatest accuracy, to about half the height of the 

 tower ; from thence to the top a different stone is apparent, and the 

 manner of laying them, also ciianges. 



When this tower was struck by lightning in the year 1749, and 



• An antiquarian gentleman who has lately visited Kineth tower remarks, that its appearance 

 of antiquity is not nearly so great as in the other towers which he has seen, 

 f Survey of Kildare, p. 12. 

 X Survey of Clare, p. 307. 

 § Ledwich's Antiquities of Ireland, p. 153. 



