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The Round Tower in Swords
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© St. Colmcille's B.N.S., Chapel Lane, Swords, Co. Dublin |
Bishop
Reeves states that Round Tower in Swords probably dates from the end of the 9th
century or the start of the 10th. The Swords Round Tower is 75 feet high and 55
feet in circumference. The lower entrance door is at present only a few feet
from the ground which suggests that the lower part of the tower is hidden under
centuries of rubble because the doorways were usually about 15 feet above ground
level. The Tower was entered by a ladder which was then pulled up. There are
projecting stones inside the walls to support four floors which were connected
by a series of ladders. Under the cone which caps the tower, there are four
large openings directly facing the four points of the compass. The cross on the
top of the tower was put there in 1702 A.D. by Henry Scardeville, Vicar of
Swords because he wished to suggest to succeeding generations that the tower was
of Christian and not pagan origin.