Oughterard Ecclesiastical Site

The round tower at Oughterard dates to the 8th century, and formed part of a monastery founded by St Bríga in the 6th century. A round tower was a necessary safety feature of all financially thriving monastic settlement, as it was where the riches of the settlement were stored in times of attack from the Irish and Vikings. The Annals note that the monastery was sacked and burned by Sitric Silke...