Clondalkin is a suburban town situated 10 km west of Dublin city centre, Ireland, under the administrative jurisdiction of South Dublin. The name is also used in relation to the area’s religious parishes. It features an eighth-century round tower that acts as a focal point for the area.
The Round Tower
The Round Tower, Clondalkin was founded in the 7th century by St Mochua and is one of only four remaining round towers in Co. Dublin. Thought to have been built around 790 AD, the tower stands at 27.5 metres high, still has its original cap and is thought to be the most slender of all the round towers in Ireland. The Round Tower experience incorporates an interactive visitor centre, public gardens, café, terraced dining area, exhibition and gallery spaces and shop.
The exhibition can be enjoyed through eight distinctive themed spaces of the refurbished 19th century Mill Cottages and brings to life the monastic setting, the Viking legacy, the 19th and early 20th-century setting of Clondalkin, a busy Dublin village, as well as exploring the role that round towers performed both socially and politically in Ireland.
The visitor centre is located close to Corkagh Park, the Grand Canal Greenway and Áras Chrónáin Irish Cultural Centre, which combined together add a different heritage experience beyond the city centre and close to the natural outdoors of Dublin in South Dublin County.