The Round Tower, Clondalkin

About the museum

The round tower at Clondalkin stands on the site of a monastery founded in the seventh century by St Crónán Mo-Chua. The tower itself is thought to date from about 790. It rises 27.5 metres and is about four metres wide at the base, and it keeps its original cap. It is one of only four round towers that survive in County Dublin and is thought to be the most slender in Ireland. It once had six floors linked by ladders and now has five, and its raised doorway and four windows facing the compass points still survive.

The visitor centre beside it opened in refurbished nineteenth-century mill cottages. Its free exhibition has eight themed spaces on the monastic settlement, the Viking legacy, village life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the part that round towers played in Irish society. It uses interactive displays and a multiscreen animated film, and children can dress up and build their own round tower. A permanent installation called Threading the Tower reimagines the tower in Irish crochet lace.

The centre also includes gardens inspired by medieval monastic planting, a craft shop and a café. Visitors can follow an audio tour on their own phone or join a pre-booked guided tour led by volunteers from Clann Chrónáin.

Highlights

• Free exhibition in eight themed spaces on the monastery, the Vikings and village life
• Round tower from about 790 AD, 27.5 metres high and with its original cap
• Multiscreen animated film giving a tower's-eye view of local history
• Threading the Tower, a permanent lace installation
• Gardens inspired by medieval monastic planting, a café and a craft shop

Permanent exhibitions

• Clondalkin Round Tower Exhibition – An interactive multimedia exhibition on more than a thousand years of Clondalkin history, from the founding of the monastery and its Viking connections to the village in the 1800s, with a multiscreen film.
• Threading the Tower – A permanent installation by the artist Fiona Harrington, part of the Irish Crochet Lace Revival project, that reimagines the round tower in lace.

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the exhibition is free. Free guided tours for schools can be arranged.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The visitor centre is described as fully accessible, with a lift, toilet facilities and on-site parking. Only guide dogs are allowed inside the centre.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

The exhibition is suitable for all ages, with a children's audio guide, a build-your-own round tower activity, dressing up in costumes and printable activity and colouring sheets.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The centre has a café with a terraced dining area (Wherelse Café) and a design and craft shop selling local products. Food and drink are not allowed in the exhibition rooms.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 75 guests.

The café can be hired for small and medium events, outside normal hours if needed, for up to 75 guests indoors and 45 on the terrace. Events are limited to the café, terrace and gardens, and bookings need two weeks' notice.

Plan your visit