Cloyne Round Tower, Irish round tower in Cloyne, Ireland

Cloyne Round Tower is a cylindrical tower of dark purple sandstone rising about 30 m in the monastic town of Cloyne, County Cork. Measured roughly 1.5 m above ground, its circumference is about 16.25 m. A lightning strike in 1749 damaged its top.

A religious community was established around the year 560 when Saint Colman founded the monastic settlement at this location. The tower itself was built later, approximately in the 10th century, as a major structure for the monastery.

Cloyne Round Tower stands as the emblem of Cloyne, a town that remains a "see city" of the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. In the 19th century the tower was used to hang the bell of the neighbouring Church of Ireland cathedral, which dates to 1250 and is still in use. The town also holds a Catholic church, St Colman's, built in 1815.

The tower can be viewed from outside along Church Street, where you have a clear view of the structure from across the cathedral. You can easily access it on foot from the nearby town center of Cloyne.

The tower's dark purple sandstone came from local beds, and a lightning strike in 1749 damaged its top. In the 19th century the tower was used to hang the cathedral bell, so the structure served the Church of Ireland cathedral rather than standing apart from it.