oreys externally. The
tower's architectural anomalies are paralleled by its history which is
correspondingly unique: it stood a regular siege in 1642, when ordnance
was brought to bear on it and it was defended by forty confederates
against the English under Lords Dungarvan and Broghil.

A few yards to north of the Round Tower stands "The Cathedral"
illustrating almost every phase of ecclesiastical architecture which
flourished in Ireland from St. Patrick to the Reformation--Cyclopean,
Celtic-Romanesque, Transitional and Pointed. The chancel arch is
possibly the most remarkable and beautiful illustration of the
Transitional that we have. An extraordinary feature of the church is the
wonderful series of Celtic arcades and panels filled with archaic
sculptures in relief which occupy the whole external face of the west
gable.

St. Declan's foundation at Ardmore seems (teste Moran's Archdall) to have
been one of the Irish religious houses which accepted the reform of Pope
Innocent at the Lateran Council and to have transformed itself into a
Regular Canonry. It would however be possible to hold, on the evidence,
that it degenerated into a mere parochial church. We hear indeed of two
or three episcopal successors of the saint, scil.:--Ultan who immediately
followed him, Eugene who witnessed a charter to the abbey of Cork in
1174, and Moelettrim O Duibhe-rathre who died in 1303 after he had,
according to the annals of Inisfallen, "erected and finished the Church"
of Ardmore. The "Wars of the Gaedhil and Gall" have reference, circa 824
or 825, to plunder by the Northmen of Disert Tipraite which is almost
certainly the church of Dysert by the Holy Well at Ardmore. The same
fleet, on the same expedition, plundered Dunderrow (near Kinsale),
Inisshannon (Bandon River), Lismore, and Kilmolash.

Regarding the age of our "Life" it is difficult with the data at hand to
say anything very definite. While dogmatism however is dangerous
indefiniteness is unsatisfying. True, we cannot trace the genealogy of
the present version beyond middle of the sixteenth century, but its
references to ancient monuments existing at date of its compilation show
it to be many centuries older. Its language proves little or nothing,
for, being a popular work, it would be modernised to date by each
successive scribe. Colgan was of opinion it was a composition of the
eighth century. Ussher and Ware, who had the Life in very ancient
codices, also