Frereuson—On the Doorway of the Round Tower, Kildare. 91 
XX.—On THE Doorway oF THE Rounp Tower or Kizparr. By Str 
Samuet Ferevson, LI.D. 
[Read, November 8, 1880. ] 
A torry church tower stood at Kildare in the time of Giraldus Cam- 
brensis, who speaks of it as being then a very ancient monument. 
The round tower still standing there is primd facie the same edifice. 
But its doorway exhibits a kind of ornamentation which, if old in the 
last quarter of the twelfth century, when Giraldus wrote, would give 
too early a date for the supposed 
commencement of that style in 
architectural decoration called 
Romanesque. Dr. Petrie there- 
fore argued, as regards the Kil- 
dare tower, that either the Roma- 
nesque style had developed itself 
here earlier than archeologists 
generally would be willing to ad- 
mit, or else that the tower itself 
should be regarded as a new struc- 
ture built since the time of Cam- 
brensis; though this latter hypo- 
thesis rests on no authority, and 
receives no support from the 
author. 
Other investigators have got 
over the difficulties involved in 
the dilemma by suggesting that 
the doorway is an ‘‘ insertion”’; 
and, in evidence of that view, 
point to appearances of newer 
masonry surrounding it, and 
spreading over a large surface 
between it and the ground. 
I am unable to concur in this se: ealiD._ fie 
theory ; and, as the reasons on oy Ure Sa icc 
both sides appear to rest on no- a pice val mye 
thing definite, I have asked leave Fic. 1. 
to place before the Academy the 
particular grounds on which, as it seems to me, this doorway should 
be regarded as part of the original structure. 
It stands at a height of about fifteen feet from the ground, and is 
now accessible by a stair-ladder with a handrail leading to an external 
landing or balcony from which every part of the work can be satisfac- 
torily examined. 
