ft. 



in. 



58 







18 



6 



4 



10 



8 



10 



22 







8 







2 



3i- 



2 







49 







O'Reilly— 0» the Round Toiccr of Chamb/e-s. 649 



partly by a narrow roaclTvay, deeply cut in the rock, point certainly to 

 great antiquity, and render it well worthy of a very careful study by 

 archaeologists. The following are the principal dimensions so far as 

 could he ascertained : — 



Circumference at base, - - - 



Diameter (exterior), . . - 



Thickness of wall at ground, 



Diameter (interior), . - - 



Height of original door from ground, 



Height of door from sill to lintel, 



Width at sill, 



Width at lintel. 



Total height of tower, - - - 



In consequence of some remarks of mine when, in conversation 

 with the gentlemen above mentioned as to the age attributed to the 

 round towers of Ireland, and the possibility that this tower might 

 have a corresponding age, which remarks were more or less correctly 

 expressed and understood, and so reached the ears of Monsieur L'Abbe 

 J. Prajoux, of St. Paul en Cornillon (Loire) who was interested as an 

 antiquary in the question of the age of the Tower of C'hambles, I 

 received from him a letter asking me to be good enough to acquaint 

 him with the reasons I had for assigning the eighth century as that of 

 the building of this tower, and informing me that in the opinion of the 

 archeeologists of the Department of the Loire it is estimated as being 

 of the eleventh or twelfth century, and that it belonged to a military 

 system of defence connected with the wars of the Archbishops of 

 Lyons with the Counts of Porez. I replied, explaining that I did not 

 pretend to judge the question of its age in any way. I stated the age 

 or ages usually assigned to the round towers of Ireland, and men- 

 tioned the great interest presented by a structure having so many 

 points of resemblance with these monuments whose history and uses it 

 might assist in more clearly elucidating than had been possible up to 

 the present. 



XOTE ADDED UN- PkESS. 



Since the communication of my Paper to the Royal Irish Academy, 

 I have received from the Abbe J. Prajoux referred to therein, 

 a copy of his recent publication, " Notes et Documents sur 

 Ch ambles," Lyon 6c St. Eticnne, 1897, forming part of a series 



