Killala Round Tower

Killala's round tower stands about twenty-five metres in the middle of the town beside the cathedral, on a site said to have been founded by Patrick, who is traditionally credited with establishing a bishopric here. The tower is twelfth-century, was struck by lightning in 1800 and repaired, and a souterrain - an underground passage of earlier date - runs beneath and near it, occasionally exposed by works. The town is otherwise small and quiet, and its other historical association is with 1798: a French expeditionary force under General Humbert landed at nearby Kilcummin in August of that year in support of the United Irishmen, took Killala, and marched inland before being defeated at Ballinamuck. The tower interior is not accessible and the doorway is several metres up, as is standard. It is a short stop rather than a visit, best combined with the coast road.

History

The name means "the mottled church", and the diocese of Killala goes back to Saint Patrick, who placed his disciple Muredach over the church here; local tradition holds that Patrick baptised 12,000 converts in a single day at a well that still flows near the town (Wikipedia, Killala).

Highlights

• The tower - about twenty-five metres, twelfth-century, in the town centre.
• The cathedral - beside it, on the site of the early foundation.
• The souterrain - the underground passage running beneath the site.
• The 1798 setting - the town taken by Humbert's French force.

When to go

Any season - it stands in the open in the town. Half an hour covers it. Combine it with Downpatrick Head and the north Mayo coast.

Things to know

Exterior only; the tower cannot be entered. There is little interpretation on site. It is one monument in a small town, not a destination in itself.

Nearby

Downpatrick Head and Ceide Fields are west; Ballina is south.