Robert M Chapple, Archaeologist

If you've travelled with me on this 3D, 360-degree tour of Kilmacduagh, Co. Galway, you’ll have seen the O'Heyne's Church [ here ] and The Glebe House & Temple Mary [ here ] (and if not, why not? … go back & check them out … I’ll wait!). Well, now it’s time to move on to the concluding part and visit the Round Tower and Cathedral – the twin jewels of this delightful monastic site. The most striking element of the site is obviously the Round Tower. It dates to the 12th century and, standing 34m tall, it is the tallest surviving round tower. Famously, the tower deviates from the vertical and is often compared to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, mostly by people who’ve never been to Italy or seen a picture of just how much either tower actually leans. The Cathedral building has a long and relatively complex history of construction, expansion, and renovation. It appears that the west wall of the Nave is the oldest surviving portion of the building and a blocked doorway (11th-...

The monastery of Kilmacduagh, Co. Galway, is believed to have been founded in the 7th century by St Colman. None of the surviving buildings date to that early period, but many fine examples of medieval architecture survive here. I've broken this tour down into several segments, the first one being a visit to the 13th century remains of the O'Heyne's Church [ Irish Stones ]. I’ve compiled the tour into a consecutive YouTube playlist [ here ] , or you can access each video clip individually here: Part I: Outside, to the NE [0:23] Part II:  Outside the East Window   [1:35] Part III: External, to the S [1:03] Part IV: Internal, by the Chancel Arch [0:24] You can view this 360-degree video on an ordinary browser or on the dedicated YouTube app for your smartphone. However, for best results we recommend the more immersive experience that comes with an Oculus/Google Cardboard headset. Please feel free to  Like  and  Share  the video and  Subscribe ...