256 



Guide to Belfast. 



N^FT 



Cloic-teacs, 

 OR Round Towers. 



NTRIM contains one of the most 

 perfect round towers in Ireland, 

 i there are remains of others 

 Armoy and Ram's Island, 

 while in Down similar 

 remains may be found 

 at Drumbo, Maghera, 

 and Mahee Island in 

 Strangford Lough. 

 These monuments are 

 regarded as being pure- 

 ly national in character, 

 unaffected by the few 

 solitary circular towers 

 that occur elsewhere. 

 They possess a distinct 

 character of their own, 

 and a general similarity 

 throughout Ireland, being found in almost every corner of 

 it, and in all cases connected by evidence in stone or other- 

 wise to the religious establishments of the early Church in 

 Ireland; and antiquarian authorities are now fully agreed 

 on that point, although the question of use still excites 

 discussion. 



The controversy that waged round the question of their 

 origin was long and vexed, and many learned writers held 

 with great tenacity to their standpoints of view from the 

 Christian and Pagan sides. A review of the question here 

 would be out of place, but we give in the bibliography 

 sufficient references to satisfy the most persistent antiquary 

 who desires further investigation. 



Many of the cloic-teacs,^ like the noble one that stood 

 beside the old abbey at Downpatrick, have been completely 

 removed; and several of them were fast following in the 

 same direction, but the tide of preservation came, and they 



1 This is the Irish name for the Round Towers, and simply means 

 " Bell Tower," another evidence of their Christian origin. 



ANTRIM ROUND TOWER, 



