This early christian settlement was founded by St. Declan in the 5th Century, and may have been prior to the arrival of St. Patrick in Ireland. The 'Archaelogical Inventory of Co. Waterford' P.164 notes the following :

'With the exception of the death of Ultan, Declan's successor who died in AD 555, little is known of the later history of the monastery. Ardmore was recognised as a diocesan centre between 1170 and 1210 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 62) after which time the diocese was united with Lismore and  the church became parochial. In 1642 the cathedral and round tower were besieged (Windele 1856-7) but the chancel of the cathedral continued in use as a Protestant church until 1838, when the present C of I church was built and the font was moved to it'.

The round tower which was built in the 12th Century stands at 29 metres high and is comprised of four floors. There are four windows on the top floor of the tower, each being equi-distant from each other. There are a number of simpler openings on the other floors, which also provide light. The entrance doorway is roughly four metres from the ground. The round tower was to serve as a refuge for inhabitants of the settlement and was also used a safe storage location for their various possessions, which would have included books, chalices etc

The 'Archaelogical Inventory of Co. Waterford' P.164 also notes the following :

'Internally there are sixteen corbels to support wooden floors, five of which are carved with grotesque faces'

The oldest structure within the graveyard is St. Declan's Oratory (church) which was built after the time of St. Declan and is said to be the site of his grave. The walls and roof were restored by the Bishop of Waterford, Thomas Mills in 1716.

The church or 'cathedral' spans a number of periods with the nave dating from the 12th Century. Perhaps the most prominent or interesting part of the structure is the west gable and its various pictorial panels, depicting various biblical scenes.

Related Links

Waterford County Library through their site at www.waterfordcoco.ie/library/ have made available a number of illustrations:

1. A drawing of the round tower and cathedral - which it states was taken from the Dublin Penny Journal Vol. III, No. 118, October 4, 1834, p105
2. A plan of the cathedral, including a number of architectural illustrations - which it states was taken from "The ecclesiastical architecture of Ireland to the close of the twelfth century", facing p.115
3. A cross-section drawing of the round tower - Taken from p.237 of "Guide to the national monuments in the Republic of Ireland" (Harbison). Acknowledgement given to Commissioners of Public Works