Ardmore Cathedral, Round Tower, and Oratory

Ardmore Cathedral, Round Tower and Oratory are found in St Declan’s Monastery south-west of Ardmore, Co. Waterford. Founded by an early Irish saint, St Declan in the 5^th

Ardmore cathedral was built between 1170 and 1210. It is recorded that Moel-ettrim Ó Duibhe-rathra died in 1203, having finished the building of the church. The nave shows Romanesque arcading, a succession of continuous arches, with several Christian themes carved into the stones. Some of the depictions include Adam and Eve, the Judgement of Solomon, and the Adoration of the Magi. The chancel holds two of the three Ogham stones, while the nave hold seven medieval grave slabs and the original cap of the round tower.

The round tower is of 12^th century construction with four floors and is 30m high. The tower was conserved in the 1840’s by Mr Odell. The round tower was accessed externally with a ladder to reach the first floor. Several of the internal supporting corbels are carved with grotesque faces. At the top of the tower, four windows mark the cardinal points of the compass. Having a round tower meant the monastery was very wealthy.

St Declan’s Oratory was renovated in 1716 by Dr Thomas Mills, Bishop of Waterford, and is intact as a result. Part of the renovation included the insertion of the north doorway, the original door at the west side, the stone roof was restored, the east window rebuilt, and the removal of an Ogham stone from the east gable end. It was traditionally thought to be the grave of St Declan and was where a small cross inscribed black stone was found in 1860 but is now lost.

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This national monument is protected in accordance with the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014