Newly constructed round tower at Narrow Water Bridge Project

Narrow Water Bridge Round Tower – What would our ancestors think!!!!

Round towers (or cloigtheach, meaning “bell house” in Irish) are scattered across the Irish landscape and are among the most enduring features of medieval Ireland. These elegant stone structures, with their soaring height and circular design, are not only architectural feats but also cultural treasures.

What Are Round Towers?

Round towers are slender, tapering stone buildings with a conical cap, a high-set doorway, and several window openings aligned with cardinal points. Most were built between the 9th and 12th centuries, during a time when monasticism flourished in Ireland and external threats – like Viking raids – were becoming more common. Round towers were typically constructed using locally sourced stone, often limestone, sandstone, or granite, depending on the region.

Existing Round Tower at Cornamucklagh

The round tower on the lough bank at Ferry Wood is nothing to do with monks or Vikings. It is one of two built by the Newry Navigation Company in 1888 as a kind of lighthouse to help ships bound for Newry line up for the dredged channel into the Narrowwater strait.

The Narrow Water Bridge Round Tower

The new round tower at Narrow Water is some 20 metres in height and is tapered in shape – wider at the base, narrowing as it rises. Historically this design helped for both stability and wind resistance.

The new round tower at Narrow Water is some 20 metres in height and is tapered in shape – wider at the base, narrowing as it rises. Historically this design helped for both stability and wind resistance. The tower has a conical cap with two high-set doorways. The tower at Narrow Water Bridge is formed from precast concrete with a Reckli liner to give a stone effect surface finish.

Contracts Manager – David Baskin explains “Our specialist precast supply chain partner FP McCann was responsible for casting the precast units at their manufacturing facility in Toome, County Antrim. Each of the eight tapered unit required bespoke moulds due to the tapering shape and took some 12 weeks to complete the casting of all the units. The conical top was formed in two units including a small cap to facilitate installation on site.”

The purpose of the new round tower at Narrow Water Bridge is to provide a navigational aid to ships particularly those using Warrenpoint Harbour. A navigational aid will be installed inside the tower at the high level doorway. The existing navigational aid located in the existing round tower to the north of the new bridge becomes obscured by the bridge pylon and support cables once installed, hence the need for the new tower to the south of the bridge.

David says “It took only three days to erect the new round tower on site, highlighting the significant benefits associated with offsite manufacture. FP McCann produced units of excellent quality to high tolerances which resulted in straightforward installation on site. The new navigational aid will be installed and commissioned over the next period.”