to either or both periods. The copper coins, and the soldier's brass button, are of a time when the raths must have long previously been discontinued to be used as dwelling places, and they were, no doubt, casually dropped there-perhaps at the time when the great encampments of the royal armies were held at Bennetts-bridge by king William III. in person, and in the reign of queen Anne, under general de Jean. That these raths were taken advantage of as affording good intrenched positions for out-posts on those occasions may be fairly surmised, not only from the commanding position which they occupy, but also from the fact that the inner rampart or bulwark of the great fort at Dunbel, which I have before supposed to have been the habitation of the aboriginal chieftain of the district, was undoubtedly embrasured for the use of cannon, which was, of course, no part of the original design or work of the fortification. GLEANINGS FROM COUNTRY CHURCH-YARDS. BY RICHARD HITCHCOCK. Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade, Each in his narrow cell for ever laid, The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.-Gray's Elegy. DURING a tour in quest of Ogham inscriptions, in the years 1847, 1848, and 1849, I have had opportunities of visiting many of the church-yards in the south of Ireland. In these sacred places I found numerous remarkable monumental inscriptions, a few of which I have copied; and from these examples I have selected the following, which I now beg leave to present to the Kilkenny Archæological Society. I do this, not from any confidence in the worth of the communication, but in the hope that it may induce other and more competent members of the Society, who may have copies of curious monumental inscriptions, or who may be in the way of obtaining them, to send them to the Secretaries, if for no other purpose than deposit in our Library. I believe that many persons possess copies of inscriptions, the originals of which do not now exist, or, if they do, which may soon give way to modern "improvement." Indeed, the subject of a MONUMENTARIUM of even the county of Kilkenny alone, which I believe is rich enough in inscriptions for such a work, appears to me to be one well worth the attention of the Society. Independently of their great historical value, many of the church-yard inscriptions are exceedingly curious; but— and is it not a sad fact?-even these hallowed remains are every year yielding to the destroyer! Much on the importance of a record of existing monuments will be found in the third volume of that most useful publication, "Notes and Queries." Number 12, amongst the following inscriptions, is from the county of Kilkenny; and it will be seen that No. 10, although in the county of Kerry, is connected with the county of Tipperary, a portion of the ancient Ormond. All the other inscriptions relate to the county of Kerry. The first inscription which I shall lay before the Society can scarcely be called a monumental one; but, nevertheless, I consider it worthy of preservation. It occurs on one of the pillars of the ancient abbey of Ardfert, and is, I regret to say, much obliterated, particularly the second line: Lewis, in his "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," article Ardfert, mentions this inscription. He says:"A stone in the buttress of the arch nearest the tower bears a rude inscription, which, from the difficulty of decyphering it, has given rise to various opinions, but, on lately removing the moss and dirt, proves to be in Latin, and purports that Donald Fitz Bohen, who sleeps here, caused this work (probably the chapel) to be done in 1453." This statement is incorrect as to the name, which appears to be Donaldus Digen. No. 2 is on a loose stone in Dunkerron castle, near Kenmare, and, like the last, though not of the church-yard class, is still curious, and very liable to be lost, as will be seen by a reference to Mr. Windele's valuable Historical and Descriptive Notices of the City of Cork and its Vicinity, new edition, p. 332, where a copy of the inscription is given. There is a slight difference between the spelling of some of the words in Mr. Windele's copy and mine, which is as follows:-IS: MARIA DEO: GRACIAS †. THIS WORK WAS MADE THE XX OF APRIEL 1596 BY OWEN OSVLIVAN MORE & SILY NY DONOGH MAC CARTY RIEOGH. I think accuracy in copying old inscriptions is a great point to be attended to. We may never again see them. See Smith's Antient and Present State of the County of Kerry, pp. 88-9; also, Croker's Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland, vol. ii. p. 65, where another incorrect copy of the inscription is given. No. 3 occurs on a stone built into the wall inside the door-way of the old church of Rattoo, in the parish of the same name, the upper part of the inscription being turned towards the door-way :× MRG.. DINIGHAN E'. 1666. VXOR. HIC.. IACT. An antiquarian friend of mine in Killarney, to whom I showed my copy of this in scription, thinks it may be read as follows:-" MARGARET O'DINIGHEN, EJUS, 1666, VXOR, HIC JACET." He also thinks that the x, or cross, before the name "MARGARET," may have been intended to connect it with another inscription, perhaps that of her husband; or the cross may have served as a mark to draw attention to this one, when separated from some other. No. 4 is on a stone built into the wall of a house in Abbey-street, Tralee, and seems to have belonged to the old abbey there, though a learned friend of mine near Tralee, to whom I showed my copy of the inscription, thinks there were no interments in the abbey burialground so late as the date mentioned:-HERE LEYETH THE BODY OF DAVID ROCHE, ESQR CONCELLER ATT LAW, WHO DECEASED THE 13 DAY OF AVGVST, ANNO DOMINI 1686, and tHE BODY OF HIS DAVGHTER MARY DECEASED IN THE YEAR 1685. I should mention, that I do not vouch for the accuracy of the last figure, it being much obliterated. The face of this stone was completely incrusted with mud when I went to copy the inscription. No. 5 is in Ballyoughteragh church-yard, in the parish of Dunurlin :—I.H.S.— NAGLE. PTT LNT TERRY, 1551. ATT L" FERRITER, 1642. PTT L12 RICE, 1722. L" MCC MAHONAH, AGED 27, 1767.-PRAY for us. I cannot easily understand this curious inscription. No. 6 is on a slab built into the wall of Kiltomy church, in the parish of the same name :-SISTE VIATOR, ET SI HAEC VAGOS ATTRAXERINT OCULOS SPLENDIDA MARMORA, NOLI TAM QUOD POSITUM EST MIRARI, QUAM DEPOSITUM OBSTUPESCERE, HIC ENIM PARVULA CONDITUR URNULA, MAGNA. .... CO[NS]T[A]NCIA, OLIM LONGORUM DELICIA BO.. SIS TANDEM FITZMAURICIORUM, UTRIUS SUE TAMEN HAUD IGNO B[IL]E ORNAMENTUM. Underneath is the following :-THIS CHURCH WAS RE-BUILT AND MONUMENT ERECTED IN THE YEAR OF Our Lord GOD ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND EI....SEVEN. There is more of the inscription, but I could not make it out. Underneath again, on two stones, are a skull and cross-bones, and over each the words, MEMENTO MORI. On the right of these, on another stone, is an hourglass between two wings. Under it is a skull, and over it the words, VITA BREVIS. I heard of another old inscription having been found in this church-yard, but it was destroyed by the masons who built a tomb for a Mr. Gentleman, adjacent to the stones bearing the above inscriptions. No. 7 is on a slab, broken into two parts, lying in the farm-yard of The Grove, Dingle, but said to have been brought from the adjacent church-yard. Some of the inscription appears to be wanting:IMMODICIS BREUIS EST ÆTAS, ET RARA SENECTUS. H. S. E.-JOHANNES FITZGERALD EQUES KERRIENSIS, EX ANTIQUA STIRPE EQUITUM KERRIENSIUM ORIUNDUS, SUAUITATE INGENII, ET INTEGRITATE MORUM EXIMIUS. ERAT IN ORE UENUSTAS, IN PECTORE BENEUOLENTIA, IN VERBIS FIDES, CANDIDUS, FACILIS, JUCUNDUS, QUOT NOTOS TOT HABUIT AMICOS, INIMICUM CERTE NEMINEM, TALIS QUUM ESSET, FEBRI CORREPTUS, IM MATURE OBIIT, ANNO ÆTATIS TRIGESSIMO QUINTO. A. D. 1741. HOV MONUMENTUM, CHARISSIMI MARITI MEMORIE SACRUM, MARGARETA CONJUX, MÆRENS POSUIT.1 There is a copy of this inscription in Smith's Kerry, pp. 177-8, wanting, however, the words "anno ætatis trigessimo quinto," supplied above. No. 8 is from the church-yard of Killiney, in the parish of the same name :-I. H. S. CATHERIN MCMAHON DEPARTED THIS LIFE THE 24TH DAY OF MAY, ANNO DOMINI 1756, IN THE YEAR OF HER AGE. THE BODYES OF TIMO MCMAHON OF KILLCOMMIN, CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, HERE DOTH LYE. MATT MCMAHON BEING THE LAST, DIED APRIL 19, A. D. 1780. The woman's age does not appear to have been inserted, or else it is quite effaced. Indeed, the stone is broken just there. In this church-yard stands a plain but fine stone cross, measuring nine and a-half feet high from the ground, four feet two inches across the arms, and seven inches thick. No. 9 is from the church-yard of Ventry, in the parish of the same name, and is, I believe, the only inscription visible there, so overwhelmed with sand is this ancient and interesting spot :-HERE LYETH THE BODY OF FRED BROWNE, WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE FEBRUARY THE FIRST, ANNO DOMINI 1775, aged 80 years. No. 10 is from the church-yard of Garfinny, in the parish of the same name-an interesting inscription, which may hereafter prove useful to the local historian:-INRI. DEO O. Po-MAXo EJUSQUE FILIo— ET SP. SANCTo.. HERE LIE MAURICE KENNEDY AND HIS WIFE JUDIT CURRANE, JAMES KENNEDY AND HIS WIFE ALICE MORRARTY ACHILLION. SAID MAURCE AND JAMS KENNEDY WERE THE SONS OF JOHN, SON OF MAURICE, SON OF JOHN KENNEDY, WHO IN THE DAYS OF CROMWELL LEFT NENAGH IN ORMOND, AND SETTLED IN THE PARISH OF GARFINACH.-THIS STONE IS CONSECRATED TO THEIR MEMORY BY JOS" KENNEDY, M.D. AND REVD JAMS KENNEDY, p.p. of dingle, sons oF SAID JAMES, A. D. 1816. No. 11 occurs over the door of the new church of Cloghane, in the parish of the same name, and, as I was informed, commemorates the period of its erection :-REV" R. L. TYNER, RECTOR, A. D. 1828. In connection with this rather uninteresting inscription I may mention, that in the wall of the adjoining old church is a projecting stone, formed into a representation of a human head and face. It is placed at the height of five feet nine inches from the ground, and is believed to represent the head of Crom Dubh, a celebrated personage, who was contemporary with St. Patrick, and of whom there are traditions at the highest mountains in Ireland, viz., at Sliabh Donard in the county of Down, at Croagh Patrick in the west of the county of Mayo, and at Brandon Hill in the west of the county of Kerry, which is much higher than any of these. A "pattern" is still held at Cloghane, in honour of Crom Dubh and St. Brendan, on the last Sunday of July, which is commonly called "Dounagh Crom Dubh." 1 The lady who built this monument was daughter of chief justice Deane. No. 12 is from one of several small carn-like monuments, at the road side, near Hugginstown, in the parish of Aghaviller, county of Kilkenny:-THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF THOMAS HEALY OF LISMOTIGUE, WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE NOVEMBR THE 10, 1840. EATERNAL REST GRANT UNTO HIM, O LORD, AMEN. The building from which I have taken this inscription is named "Kyleva monument," being situate in the townland of that name. These little monuments are remarkable, as having been raised to the memories of persons who, I was told, had died and were buried elsewhere, and one or two have young trees growing on them. I should observe here, that the originals of many of the inscriptions above given, particularly Nos. 2, 3, and 4, are much more curious than can be represented by the printer; most of the letters being of peculiar forms, and many of them, merely by the addition of a stroke, made to serve as two and three letters. Having sent a copy of the newspaper report of the preceding communication to a friend in the south, the Rev. A. B. Rowan, D.D., Belmont, Tralee, he has favoured me with the following additional particulars relative to some of the present "Gleanings," which, with his permission, I give just as they are in his letters to me :-"I think I must go over to Kiltomy (not Kiltorny) church some day, to try and decypher this inscription [No. 6], which I suspect to be of a countess of Kerry, certainly of some Fitzmaurice: you gave it to me before," . . "Are you quite sure that you can read the inscription on the pillar of Ardfert abbey [No. 1]? I never could be sure of it, and yet you certainly set it down as Donaldus Digen: I am not convinced." "I send you an inscription from Abbey-dorney church more ancient than any you have given :-AMBROSIUS piers. VIC. GEN. DIOCES. ARDFERT. HUNC TUMULUM SIBI FIERI FECIT, ANNO 1587. Did you give the Society the fac-simile of the inscription in Rattoo church [No. 3]? The contracted language is the chief curiosity of it." My friend then gives a copy of the inscription, which he reads as follows:-"10[HANNES] DINIGHAN, 1666, × MARG EJUS VXOR, HIC JACET." "You have not copied the inscriptions to the three Roman bishops, or to the friars, in the cathedral [of Ardfert]. The last are curious, as showing how late the order was preserved." Dr. Rowan has since supplied me with the following valuable note on the inscription on the pillar of Ardfert abbey (No. 1):"I send you on another leaf a copy of Sir Richard Colt Hoare's letter, written after a visit to Ardfert. His is a great name in antiquarian matters, and he was one of the best antiquaries of his day; still, as examination has become more accurate, I venture a suggestion on his, namely, that the last line might be made better sense, thus:-'orate pro eo-pray for him.' This may well be read out of the rather defaced letters, and is a likely sense for the inscription. A misprint in the newspaper. |