Maghera Church and Round Tower, Maghera, United Kingdom

It is believed that Saint Domangard or Donard founded a monastery in Maghera in the early christian period, c. 500 AD. He lived as a hermit on Slieve Donard, a nearby mountain that is named after him. There are no antiquities remaining from the early foundation but excavations in 1965 produced evidence of occupation around the tower during the Early Christian period. The medieval church situated behind the more modern church probably dates to the 12th century. It is much harder to date the round tower as there are no features such as windows or doors that normally help in dating round towers.

The tower, which is built from rough uncoursed granite field-stones similar to the tower at Castledermot, is believed to have fallen in the 18th century as a result of storm damage. All we see today is a 5.4 metre high stump with a large breech on the eastern side of the tower. This may represent the position of the doorway, suggesting a rather low entrance. The diameter of the tower at base level is 4.85 metres. The stones used in the building of the tower suggest a 10th century date but is not definite proof.

References:

megalithicireland.com

Religious sites in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Paul appleton (11 months ago)
Huff and puff blew offits top Tumbled down Right to the ground.

Brian Couchman (16 months ago)
A really delightful place to visit.

Brendan Duff (17 months ago)
Amazing little piece of history.

PW (17 months ago)
Beautiful and tranquil church grounds. An interesting historic monument too in the adjoining field. The church grounds also have nice views of The Mourne Mountains on a good day. The church grounds consist of the both the newer church and graveyard plus the ruins of the older church and graveyard. Both graveyards are immaculately maintained and considerable time and effort has been put in to restore the old graveyard grounds which was wildly overgrown not so many years ago. Well worth a visit if you are in the area and want to enjoy some peace and solitude.

Jack Barron (2 years ago)
Beautiful old church

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Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick. The tower was likely inhabited by the principal family or clan of the area but also served as a last resort for the village in case of an attack.

The broch continued to be inhabited while it began to collapse and the original structures were altered. The cistern was filled in and the interior was repartitioned. The ruin visible today reflects this secondary phase of the broch's use.

The site is surrounded by three ditches cut out of the rock with stone ramparts, encircling an area of around 45 metres diameter. The remains of numerous small stone dwellings with small yards and sheds can be found between the inner ditch and the tower. These were built after the tower, but were a part of the settlement's initial conception. A 'main street' connects the outer entrance to the broch. The settlement is the best-preserved of all broch villages.

Pieces of a Roman amphora dating to before 60 AD were found here, lending weight to the record that a 'King of Orkney' submitted to Emperor Claudius at Colchester in 43 AD.

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In the 9th century, a Norse woman was buried at the site in a stone-lined grave with two bronze brooches and a sickle and knife made from iron. Other finds suggest that Norse men were buried here too.

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