Antrim Round Tower

St Comgall of Bangor is said to have founded a monastery at Antrim. St Finntan of Antrim (d. 613) and St Flann of Antrim (d. 728) were abbots of Bangor at the time of their deaths. When Bangor was plundered in 824 St Comgall’s relics were taken to Antrim. The monastery was plundered in 1018 and burned in 1147. The only remnant of the monastery is the Round Tower, in Steeple townland. It stands 28m high complete with conical cap. It owes its remarkably good condition to rebuilding and consolidation in the early 19th century.

The square-headed doorway is 2.3m above ground level. It is 1.3m high and 60cm wide at the base and 56cm wide at the top. On the outside the stone above the lintel has a celtic cross carved on it. The carving is 1cm deep, 40cm high and 30cm across the arms. The tower is about six storeys high with four square-headed windows at various levels and four similar, smaller windows at the top floor.

Nearby is a large boulder known as the Witch’s Stone. It has two good bullauns.