Kells Round Tower facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kells Round Tower
Cloigtheach Cheanannais
Round tower of Kells
Religion
Affiliation	Pre-Reformation Catholic
Location
Location	Farrell Street, Kells, County Meath, Ireland
Location in Ireland
Architecture
Architectural style	Irish round tower
Groundbreaking	10th century
Specifications
Height (max)	26 m (85 ft)
Materials	sandstone, limestone

The Kells Round Tower is a tall, old stone tower in Kells, County Meath, Ireland. It's a special type of building called an Irish round tower. This tower, along with some tall stone crosses nearby, are protected as important National Monuments.

History of Kells Tower

Kells started as a place where monks lived and prayed, founded by Saint Columba around the year 550. The land was given to him by the King of Tara. Later, Saint Columba had to leave. In the early 800s, monks from Iona (an island in Scotland) came and restarted the Abbey of Kells. The tall stone crosses were put up in the 800s or 900s, and the round tower was built in the 900s.

Old records tell us a dramatic story from 1076. A man named Murchadh was unfairly killed inside the Kells Round Tower. He was a local king for a short time. The person who killed him was then killed by someone else, supposedly as a miracle related to Saint Columba.

Like many round towers, the Kells tower has lost its original pointed top. This might have happened because of lightning strikes over the years.

About the Kells Tower

The entrance to the tower is high up.

The Kells Round Tower stands about 26 m (85 ft) (that's about 85 feet) tall. The main doorway was originally about 3.6 m (12 ft) (about 12 feet) above the ground. People would have used wooden steps or a ladder to get inside.

Most round towers have four windows at the very top, one for each main direction (north, south, east, west). But the Kells tower is special because it has five windows at the top. People think this is because each window faced one of the roads or gates leading into the town of Kells.

The High Crosses

Around the Kells Round Tower, there are five amazing high crosses. These are tall stone crosses with detailed carvings that tell stories from the Bible and other tales.

• Cross of St Patrick and St Columba (South Cross): This is the oldest cross, made in the 800s. It shows scenes like Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, the Three Children in the Furnace, and Daniel in the lions' den.
• West Cross (Ruined Cross): This cross shows Adam and Eve, the Israelites entering the Promised Land, the Marriage at Cana, the Baptism of Jesus, and his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It's believed that soldiers of Oliver Cromwell damaged this cross a long time ago.
• East Cross (Unfinished Cross): This cross was never fully finished. It's really cool because it shows us how these crosses were made, with the details being carved on site.
• Market Cross: This cross is about 3.35 m (11.0 ft) (11 feet) tall. Besides religious scenes like David playing his lyre and the Binding of Isaac, it also shows a deer hunt, birds, animals, and even mythical creatures called centaurs.
• North Cross: Only the bottom part of this cross remains today.