Taghadoe Round Tower and Monastic Settlement

Just 5 Km from the College, there stands one of Ireland’s Round Towers, probably dating from the 8th century of the first millennium.  Saint Tua (Ultan) founded a monastic settlement here and he died in 770.  The name Taghadoe may have come from the Irish ‘Teach Tua’ or ‘House of Tua’.

Monastic settlements of the time typically built a tower to identify their locations and add prestige to the monasteries.  They were known in Irish as cloigeach or bell-tower.  Even today they are wonderful landmarks, and must have made it easy for pilgrims and visitors of the time to find the monasteries. Taghadoe Tower is about 20m tall.

Ancient lore told us that Round Towers were places of refuge for people and treasures when the monasteries were attacked.  That the entrance door is nearly 4 metres up, and therefore somewhat defensible, supports this view.  However, 20th century historians seem to opt for the view that they were merely bell-towers and those stories of safe refuge are only folklore.  There are the remains of about 100 Round Towers in Ireland.

Ruins of a church built in 1831 and a graveyard surround the Taghadoe Tower.  The church has distinctive octagonal turrets at the corners.

 

This site at Taghadoe is in the care of the Office of Public Works since 1886, and some restoration has been done on the tower.  However, regrettably, the conical cap, which would have been typical, if it ever existed, has not been replaced.  The tower would originally have had several floors, linked by ladders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were other religious settlements near Maynooth in Laraghbryan and Grangewilliam.

Directions to Taghadoe from Saint Patrick's College, Maynooth:

From the square in Maynooth take the Straffan Road for about 4 Km to Taghadoe Cross.

Turn Right and you will come upon the site in 1 Km.
Free access and parking.

D.McN

 

Some interesting places to visit in Maynooth:

Click for more information.

Maynooth Castle

Carton Avenue 

National Science Museum at Saint Patrick's College

Religious Sites within 5Km of Maynooth:

Grangewilliam / Donoghmore Monastic Settlement

Laraghbryan Monastic Settlement and Cemetery

Taghadoe Round Tower and Monastic Settlement