284 



A. D. 596, and we have eyery reason to believe that he caused this 

 structure to be erected for his use. See Dr. Petrie's work on the Round 

 Towers, p. 430, 



E'o. 15. Plan of the croft of St. ColumbkilFs house. 



No. 16. Section of the building from north to south, showing the 

 rude method of constructing its roof by causing the stones to overlap till 

 the apex of the croft was closed in by one stone, after the manner of the 

 very earliest of our stone oratories. See Dr. Petrie's account of the 

 stone oratory at Gallarus, county of Kerry, p. 133. 



No. 17. Plan of St. Elannan's Oratory at Killaloe. The date of 

 this building is the seventh century. See Dr. Petrie's work, p. 281. 



!N"os. 18 and 19. Sketches of the capitals of pilasters at either side 

 of the doorway to St. Plannan's church at Killaloe. That on the north 

 side is strikingly Corinthian in its style ; and that on the south side is 

 ornamented with two animals, having one head at the external angle of 

 the capital, common to both. 



No. 20. Incised cross with enclosing circle, carved on a limestone 

 slab, placed at the foot of the ancient doorway built up into the south 

 wall of the cathedral of Killaloe, and close to the west gable. 



No. 21. View of the doorway of the Round Tower of Kells, county 

 of Meath, showing the mixture of sandstone and limestone used in its 

 construction. 



No. 22. Yiew of the round tower of Kinneigh, county of Cork. 

 The base of this singular structure is hexagonal within and without, to 

 the height of about 18 feet, when it abruptly becomes circular. The 

 doorway is flat-headed, and constructed in the side of the hexagon 

 facing the north-east. The doorway is revealed within, to receive a 

 wooden door ; the first floor is level with the doorway, and is con- 

 structed of four large flag-stones crossing each other, but so far apart as 

 to allow of a large square opening in the centre, aff'ording access to the 

 dark chamber beneath. The walls at the basement are five feet thick. 

 Above the hexagonal base there are foar ofi'sets in the wall, and about 

 ten feet apart, thus dividing the tower into a corresponding number of 

 rooms, each of which was lighted by a small porthole-shaped window. 

 I believe that the tower wants one story to complete it height, as there 

 are none of the ordinary large openings at the summit. The present 

 height of the tower is fully 60 feet, to which, if we add 10 feet for the 

 terminal chamber, and 10 feet for the conical roof, we would have 80 

 feet as the original height of the tower. Its external diameter at the 

 springing of the circular portion is 16 feet 6 inches, and only 8 feet 6 in- 

 ches internally. 



No. 23. View of the doorway of this tower. 



No. 24. Plan of the hexagonal base at the doorway of this tower, 

 showing the manner in which the stone floor was constructed. 



^^o. 25. Section of the Round Tower at Kinneigh. 



No. 26. Ground plan of St. Edan's Monastery at Perns, county of 

 "Wexford, showing the connexion of the round tower with the nave of 

 the building at its north-west angle. 



