Balla Round Tower

Balla Round Tower

Balla Round Tower showing elevated doorway

Round Towers are tall, circular, stone towers that were mainly used as watchtowers, bell towers and places of refuge in times of attack. Most Round Towers were built between 875 and 915 AD, during a recess in Viking invasions. The traditional Irish name for Round Towers is “Cloigtheach”, meaning Bell-House, however the Round Tower in Balla is locally known as ” clogar Balla”, meaning the Belfry of Balla.

Approximately 100 of them may have been built, however only 8o known Round Towers survive in Ireland today, with seven Round Towers in County Mayo, two of which are located along the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail.

The external doorway was generally constructed several meters above ground level for defensive purposes with a removable ladder used for entry. Placing the doorway higher up on the round tower also aided in the structural strength and integrity of the tower.

The Round Tower in Balla has an external doorway situated on the upper left as well as a mysterious opening in the back for which archaeologists have been unable to determine its purpose. The opening is unique because it is located so low and may suggest the round Tower was used as a bell-tower rather than for defensive purposes.

The Balla Round Tower is 10 meters high and has several unique attributes. On the east side of the tower, near the top, there is a quadrangular place for a bell that is six feet high and two feet in width. Another mystery of the tower are the spherical divits at the bottom of the north and south sides. Also, one of the oldest Christian Burial Stones in Ireland is located in the archway of the Round Tower, although it does not belong to the original tower.

There are various myths as to what became of the top of the Round Tower. One theory suggests the stones from the top of the tower were used to build the Old Church.

Irish Celtic Cross with Round Tower in Background

Round Towers have been associated withmonasteries, where the ringing bell was an essential means of calling the monks to prayer at regular intervals throughout the day. Though no longer visible, there is proof a monastery once existed in Balla, evidence shows the Balla monastery was subject to annual taxes under King Henry VIII during his reign in the eight century.