Discover Cloyne: Round Tower and Cathedral

Cloyne is a historic village in East Cork, with a clear focus on early Christian history, church architecture and archaeological connections. The round tower and St. Colman’s Cathedral are at the heart of the village’s character; the churchyard, memorial sites and finds add to its historic picture. If you are planning a hotel stay, Cloyne offers a distinctive theme to guide your travel plans: the history of the village itself.

St. Colman, the Round Tower and the Cathedral

Around 560 AD, St. Colman founded his own monastic settlement in Cloyne. A round tower and a pre-Reformation cathedral still stand at this monastic site. Cloyne’s round tower is one of only two surviving round towers in County Cork. On the archaeological overview of early Christian sites in East Cork, Cloyne is shown with its tall round tower and medieval cathedral. St. Colman’s Cathedral is on Church Street in the historic East Cork village. It was built around 1250 on older foundations; parts of the present building date from the 13th century.

The round tower can currently only be viewed from the outside and cannot be entered; check this access information again before travelling. The cathedral is still an active church and is surrounded by a churchyard with old gravestones.

Memorial Sites and Archaeological Finds

The cathedral contains a marble monument to George Berkeley: a reclining Italian-style statue by Irish sculptor Bruce Joy. The Cross of Cloyne is also associated with the cathedral grounds: it was excavated there around 1885, is made of gilt bronze and dates to the 11th or 12th century.

Christy Ring is also closely associated with Cloyne. A nine-foot bronze statue stands in his hometown, and an ash grove called Ros Uí Rinn is dedicated to him. Alongside the history of the church and archaeology, you will also find memorial sites connected with a person from Cloyne.

A pair of Early Bronze Age gold sun discs discovered in Cloyne is now in the National Museum. Together with the Cross of Cloyne, these local archaeological connections span the period from the Early Bronze Age to the 11th or 12th century.

Another side of the landscape

Just outside Cloyne lies an extensive and complex cave system. It extends over about seven acres beneath the surrounding land. Alongside its ecclesiastical buildings, the destination also offers a natural feature: the cave system on the edge of the village.

More to explore in the Cork destination

Further historical and landscape features in the wider Cork destination broaden the picture beyond Cloyne. In Carrigtwohill, Barryscourt Castle was built as an Irish tower house between 1392 and 1420. Fota Arboretum covers 11 hectares and is home to rare, delicate trees and shrubs that grow outdoors. The gardens at Fota include an ornamental lake, formal pleasure gardens, an orangery and a sun temple. In Kinsale, Charles Fort was built between 1677 and 1682 to protect the town and harbour; its walls and ramparts overlook the harbour. These examples offer a glimpse of other historical and horticultural highlights across Cork.

Cloyne as a destination for your stay

Search for Cloyne as your destination if the cathedral, round tower, memorial sites and the village’s history shape your choice. For a broader stay, take the individual places you plan to visit into account when deciding.

Discover more destinations: Courtmacsherry, Kinsale, Coachford, Newmarket, Mitchelstown, Ballygarvan, Ballingeary, Cobh

For the wider travel overview: Cork.