Monday, August 24, 2015

Kilree Round Tower Church and High Cross






The Round Tower of Kilree could not be in a better setting.
A short drive from the M9 brings you to this peaceful slice of early Christianity.

The round tower which is capless is 28 meters in height.
The doorway is under 2 meters from the built up level of the graveyard.
The tower has 7 windows with 4 located in the bell storey.

The high cross is located at the back of the tower and graveyard, just a short walk across a field.
The cross is made of sandstone and is 2.75 meters in height.
Although well worn you can still see how beautifully the cross was once decorated.

The history of the site is somewhat unknown with both the tower and high cross thought to date back to the 9th Century.
Of the more recent history the Dean of Ossory  transferred the lands to the nearby Priory of Kells in the 13th Century.

Access - Parking is the real problem as the road beside the site is quite narrow.

Kilree is just one of those sites that makes you want to spend some time, so quite and with a really nice atmosphere.