Ardmore is small village, but holds one of the most beautiful treasures in all Ireland.
It is said that Ardmore is where the very first monastic settlement was built in Ireland. St. Declan arrived to Ireland from Wales several years before St. Patrick and founded a monastery here on the heights of Ardmore. The date of his arrival is debated, but it is commonly believed that it was between 350 and 400.
The most prominent feature of this monastery is the tall and perfectly conserved round tower. It can be seen from a long distance and it's the distinctive landmark for the village.
The round tower is in excess of 29 metres tall and still has its conical roof, though it's been rebuilt after the storm of the February 1867. On the top of the roof there are two stone crosses fitted together to form a "tri-dimensional" cross.
The tower has four internal storeys, and these divisions are marked on the outside by four string courses. There are three square windows along the height of the tower, and there are four more windows below the roof level facing to the compass points. Of these four windows, three are angle-shaped, the south facing one is lintelled.
The rounded doorway is at 3.89 metres from the ground, it measures 1.66 metres in height and 60 centimetres in width, and faces northeast (55°). On this side, at about 1.30 metres from the ground level there's a crude cross incised on one of the stones.
On the top of the tower there's also the tip of a lightning rod.
The first time we came here was on June 6th, 2001. We were very lucky to see it in a wonderful light on that occasion as well.
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