Pronounced "kill-mac-doo", the monastery was founded in the 7th
century. Most of the present buildings date from the 13th - 14th
centuries. The monastery contains a round tower, notable as both
a fine example of this particularly Irish feature but also because
of its noticeable lean, over 2 feet from the vertical.
The monks were obviously expecting trouble when they had built
the round tower. The tower is about 100 feet tall, with the only
doorway about 23 feet above ground level. The reason for the doorway's
height was that of safety during attack (of which there were many);
the monks could pull up the ladder, leaving no access to the attackers.
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However, round towers really weren't that safe - the Vikings simply
piled up timber around them and lit it up. If the flames didn't
cause the tower to crumble, the smoke drove the monks out.
The walls are over six feet thick at the base, underneath which
lie some skeletons.
The song is an original from my CD "Curious House" and was recorded
using only an acoustic and a digital guitar.
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