Overview
Lusk’s round tower and medieval belfry stand together in north County Dublin. The round tower went up for a reason: raiders were coming in off the coast in the 9th century, and the tower gave the monastery a bell-house and a bolt-hole in one. It still marks the village out from a distance. Lusk sits about 20 km north of Dublin and has grown into a commuter town, but the medieval core around St MacCuilinn’s is nationally significant and worth the turn off the M1. The name comes from the Irish lusca, a cave or underground chamber: Saint MacCuilinn, who founded a church here around 450 AD, is said to have lived in, or been buried in, a cave on the site.
Is Lusk round tower open? Check tour dates
The tower is a National Monument in the care of the Office of Public Works. Heritage Ireland publishes selected opening dates for tours, so check the next date before travelling if you want to see the exhibition inside the belfry. Do not assume a door will be open outside those dates, and do not expect to climb the tower. Check Heritage Ireland for what can be visited, and treat any glimpse of the interior as a bonus. For more about the village and its buildings, see Fingal County Council’s Lusk guide.
History and heritage
People have been here a long time. Archaeologists working the surrounding fields have turned up Bronze Age cooking pits. By the 5th century Saint MacCuilinn had founded a monastery that grew into a regional religious centre, and its wealth is what drew the Vikings in the 9th century. The round tower was the answer.
Anglo-Norman rule later added a 15th-century defensive tower to the enclosure. The adjoining belfry holds an exhibition on Lusk and the medieval churches of Fingal, as well as the carved tomb of Sir Christopher Barnewall and Marion Sharle, a double effigy. Other carved stone associated with the site includes a 17th-century font, a ballaun stone and a fireplace with a carved Annunciation. Look up for a carved ‘grotesque’ figure, decorative rather than a working gargoyle. The antiquarian Austin Cooper once recorded a sheela-na-gig here; it hasn’t survived. Older lore reaches back further again, tying the district’s early name, Bregia, to Emer, wife of the Ulster hero Cú Chulainn.
What to see and do
The round tower, the 15th-century belfry and the churchyard sit in one compact enclosure. A well-kept thatched cottage at the entrance to the village is a quick primer in traditional rural building before you reach the enclosure.
Food, drink and local life
For its size, Lusk grows and makes a surprising amount. Lusca, an offshoot of Llewellyns Orchard, makes wine from grapes grown here. The Man O’ War, out on the old Dublin road, has deeds going back to 1595 and started life as a turnpike toll booth before it ever poured a pint. The village keeps a pipe-band tradition alive through the Black Raven Pipe Band, and the Lusk Summer Festival has been held at Orlynn Park in June. Check dates locally.
Nature and wildlife
A short walk from the centre brings you to Rogerstown Estuary, a former landfill reclaimed as a nature reserve. In winter its tidal flats draw waders and wildfowl. The paths are generally flat, a gentle hour rather than a proper hike.
Practical information
- Access: tours run on selected dates only, as published by Heritage Ireland. There is no reliable schedule of climbs.
- Accessibility: the belfry and tower involve narrow, uneven stone steps and are not suitable for wheelchair users or anyone with limited mobility. Check with Heritage Ireland about the exhibition.
- Getting there: Lusk is on the northern commuter rail line, which is not the DART, and drivers come off the M1. Check current timetables before you travel.
- Parking: check locally; on-street parking can fill on festival days.
Nearby attractions
Lusk makes a decent base for the north coast. A short drive north brings you to Balbriggan, with its long sandy strand and historic harbour. West lies Balrothery, with quiet paths and the ruins of Balrothery Castle for a second helping of medieval history. Pair either with the churchyard and you have a half-day that covers archaeology, coast and a bit of local character without much time in the car.
Come for a published tour date, or a dry winter weekend on the estuary, and don’t count on getting inside the tower. The belfry and the carved tombs are the real reason to stop.