Taghadoe

53°21′12″N 6°36′47″W / 53.3533°N 6.6131°W / 53.3533; -6.6131Public accessyes

Taghadoe in County Kildare in Ireland is the site of an ancient monastic settlement and round tower. The site includes a graveyard and the ruins of a 19th-century church. It is situated 5 km from Maynooth, off the Straffan Road. The name is derived from Teach Tua or 'House of Tua' in Irish, Saint Tua (Ultan the Silent)^[1] the abbot of Clonmacnoise, was responsible for founding the monastic settlement here. The site dates back to the 6th century.^[2] The round tower was used for about 1000 years, but was left in ruins by the 17th century.^[3] Most of the burials in the graveyard were in the 17th and 18th century and it was used by Roman Catholics. A John Dillon of Carton had bequeathed £1,000 for the building of a church on the site; the Duke of Leinster was the executor of his will.

The church which was constructed on the site in 1831 for the Church of Ireland by a donation from the Board of First Fruits of £830.^[4] This church was only active for 40 years and, while derelict, its walls are quite intact.^{[citation needed]}

The tower was declared a national monument in 1886, and the site is in the care of the Office of Public Works (OPW).^{[citation needed]}