Roscrea - St Cronan Church

The town of Roscrea grew up around a monastery founded by St Cronan in the seventh century. Of the Romanesque St Cronan's Church (12th C; National Monument) built on the old monastic site there survives only the west front with the doorway and blind arcading on either side; the rest was pulled down in 1812 to make way for the new parish church. To the north of the church is a high cross (12th C) with representations of Christ, a bishop and two other figures (the Virgin and St John?). The modern road bisects the monastic site, so that the 10th century round tower (National Monument) is cut off from the church; originally 80ft/24m high, it survives to a height of 60ft/18 m.