The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-11-09
Round Towers of ireland.

hounQ towers OF ireland,
Thero are cortain remarkable edifces in
ireland, OF extreme antiquity, which are
known as the Round Towers. Thoy are tall,
narrow, circular structures of stone, varying
in height from eighty to one hundred and
twenty feet, and in diameter from twelve to
eighteen feet. They are built upon mass.
i've Foundation and sub. structure Of solid
blocks of unhewn stone. and have a doorway
of about ton or fifteen feet from tho ground.
Tho interior is hollow, and winding stair.
way OF stOno steps ascends to tho top. This
is covered over by o conical roof, aud at the
upper part are four openings in the wall
facing tho four cardinal points. There are
in Ireland sixty-two of these towers, scat
tered over various parts Of tho island and
two in Scotland. Many Of them arc yet in
perfectly whole and sound condition, bid
fair to resist tho encroachment of time for
centuiics to come The cement tia, was
used 10 bind tho stones together is as hard
as tho blocks themselves. aud possesses prop.
critics entirely different from anything that
the mortar of modern times exhibits. The
science OF the present age is utterly unable
10y analysis TO discover tho nature of this
cement. AS to the ago whom thtsa round
towers wore built. or tho purposes for which
record. All is lost in tho dim obscurity of
forgotten ages. and tho untiquury is loft to
prose over their structure, excavate beneath
them, and compare their Plan and appear.
anco with the most ancient monuments of
India aGd Of Egypt, In order to conjecture
whom and BY whom they woro bulls, aud for
what use Ii is not improbable that tho an.
cient records of the Irish Druds might have
throwu tho needed light upon the subject
but such was tho zeal of ST. Patrick to ex
tirpate the old religion of tho people. in
order to prepare the way for Christianity,
that he destroyed all tho books OF the an.
cient Druds.
Sir William Bo,ham has pursued this in
qniry with zeal and thoroughnoss of re-
search that tow scholars can hope to rQuaI
He has explored ancient and modern history,
compared the observations of travellers in
all countries with each other. aud gathered
together tho testimonials afforded bv ex.
plorations of the ground under aud around
many of these cdtices. BY comparing thom
with the obolisks of Egypt, erected anterior
to the pyramids, and with the Buddhist tow
ers that arc scattered throughout tho penin.
sula Of India, he has arrived at tho concIu
sion that the towers of India and those of
Ireland originated with tho same opinions.
and wero erected for tho same purpose /; that
they wore connected with tho planet. wOr-
ship of the Badlim which prevails wherever
Buddhism rules, and with tho kindred wor-
ship of Badl,whic prevailed in Ireland and
other Cu!tic countries. Tho tightening Of
the fire of Bdditin, on tho eve of the sum.
MGR solstice; tho name of BqaL scattered
over tho whole of Ireland, in its topography,
ns Bddl tight more tho great house of Baal
in Cork; Bahigirss tho Green Of Baal's Fire.
in Wicklow; Baaiagh, or Baal's Ford in
Mayo, and many other circumstances, are
to him proof sufficient that the Druid wor-
ship OF Ireland was similar so the Buddhist
system of ancient India. The Indian towers.
like the Irish. are circular; thcy also isola-
ted structures with an entrance elevated
from eight to twelve foot from tho ground
they have zach small aportures at regular
distance, for tho admission of light, with
four openings near tho top. at tho fonr car
dinal points. and round or conicai tops. -
The Buddhist writings declare that they
wore built over the bones or relics of their
incarnate Buddha.
Excavations have been made beneath the
Irish towers at Cashel. Roscrea, Maghara.
ArdmOre. and other places, and always with
nearly the same result. The tower of
Ardmoro stands in tho county of Waterford
on the cOust ..ear YOughal Bay. This struc
!ure is .oovo ono hundred feet high. and
forty two in circumference at tho baso
Tho door is fifteen feet from the ground |
The outside OF tho tower is ornamented with
bands, which divide il into four equal stories
with window in each of the intermediate
ones. The upper has tho usual four win
dows, opening to tho cast. west. north. In
lS4l this tower was eXcavated. /: was
found to rest on the solid rock, about ten |
feet below tho surface OF the ground. Upon
tho rock was laid foundation of large stone
about four feot high, and tho space within
this foundation. somo four or Ave feet in
diameter was filled with mold. Across this |
foundation and the beG of mold was found
the remains of human body-the head
and feet resting upon the rock, and the rest
of tho body extending across the mold. The
foundation was then carried up above the
body, and the space within filled with mold
to the depth OF about two feet A floor
cement was then laid and above that wedged
in a mass of rough stones. with another floor
of concrete above them. As to the age Of
this and similar structures, conjecture makes
them at least three thousend years old, and |
if they were coeVai with those of Egypt aud
India, a still greater age must be assigned
to them.