SOME of the readers of the DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE may remember having accompanied me, in the month before last, to the Isles of Arran; and that, on my taking leave on that occasion, we had left the chief village of the island, Kilronan, and were on our way to Dun-Angus. It may also be in their recollection that we had already, on the middle island, visited Dun-Conor, a very grand example of the same species of building, also erected in the first century of our era, by another son of the Fir-Volg king, Uaithmore. Connor O'Brien, one of the great lords of Clare, of whom I shall have occasion to speak hereafter, is confused in local tradition with this Fir-Volg prince, although twelve hundred years elapsed between their epochs. In fact, no distinct tradition of the Fir-Volgs remains in the islands; and but for the written records preserved in the book of Leacan, we should have known as little of these barbaric fortress-palaces as the Scotch antiquaries know of Dun Dornadilla, or the Burgh of Mousa. The traditions of the people of Arran are either hagiological, or have reference to the exploits of such personages as Croohore-na-Suidine O'Brien, Emun Laidir O'Flaherty, or Oliver Cromwell. The saints and their miracles supply the great historical topics of these simple people, as, next to the pagan fortresses and clochans, their ruined churches and sepulchral monuments constitute the main attraction of the islands for the ecclesiastical and architectural antiquary. And for any one imbued with these tastes, the way westward from Kilronan is, indeed, on both sides full of objects of curiosity.

On the right, in the low tract between the road and sea, are the remains of Manister Connachtach, with the chapel of St. Kieran. It was here the founder of Clonmacnoise disciplined himself for his subsequent mission on the mainland. If the reader have any curiosity in early Christian architecture, I would direct his attention to this chapel, as a work of, I should suppose, the ninth or tenth century, not

withstanding its added Gothic doorway. The east window exhibits an early and interesting attempt at decoration, being pillared externally, and having a scroll on the inside, terminating in some rude symbolic representations. Hard by are the ruins of Teampul Assurnuidhe, with its wondrous bolaun or font, which always contains water, be the weather wet or dry. Colgan takes the name to be that of St. Iserninus, mentioned in the lives of Patrick; but from the name given to the place at present, Teampul Sournich ni Cealla, I apprehend the saint was a female, and a daughter of the Hy-Manian family. Sourney's font is a hollowed bowl of granite, overhung by ferns and underwood, and carefully covered over to prevent evaporation. When I saw it, it contained some much-soiled water, derived, as Mullen expressed it, and I dare say truly, "from the climate." The church site itself is a mass of stones and bramble, but distinguished by the presence of a venerable thorn, one of the few trees on the island, and the haws of which are the largest I have ever seen. These brambly dells are, it appears, rich in rare ferns and other objects as interesting to the naturalist as their stone monuments to the historical student.

On the left hand, at a little distance up the craggy ascent of the hill, which is crowned by the pagan fortress of Dun-Eochaill and the lighthouse, stands another of the little churches mentioned by Colgan, Teampul Ceathair Aluinn, the Church of the Four Beautiful Saints. These Colgan states to be Fursey, Brandon of Birr, Conall, and Barchann. Fursey was the founder of the Abbey of Lagny on the Marne; and no one, certainly, walking through the beautiful aisles and cloisters of that once sumptuous establishment, could suppose that so much ecclesiastical grandeur took its rise from these little Irish cellule, scarce better at their best than well-constructed hovels. Still more surprise would the visitor of the splendid French foundation experience, were he told that Fursey's at

tachment to his Irish hermitage had brought him back to spend the evening of his life on those rugged crags, and to seek a grave under the rude pillarstone which at a little distance still marks the sepulchre of the Four Beautiful Saints.

The "Church of Beauties" preserves its altar-a not inelegant piece of masonry, with a corniced slab or top. A bracket, adorned with a corresponding moulding, projects from the wall at the north side, just above. A square hole in the centre of the altar slab may have received the foot of a cross. The remains of an ogeed window, however, lying among the ruins, indicate a comparatively recent period for these remains. Closely adjoining their cell is the equally diminutive and ruinous one of the Ladies of Honour. Of these ladies I find no mention made in the books. About two hundred yards higher up the hill, stands one of those singular stone cave-houses illustrated by Petrie, called Cloghan-a-Phooka. This Cloghan differs from all others that I have seen or heard of, in being divided internally into two apartments. Externally the structure presents the appearance of a rude cairn, or pile of stones, about thirty feet in length and eighteen in breadth, by twelve or fourteen feet high. Two low doorways, like entrances to an artificial cave, in the middle of either side, admit to the interior, an oblong apartment twentytwo feet long by ten broad. One end of this space, about ten feet by seven, is cut off by a low cross-wall, having a doorway in the middle, and apertures serving as windows at either side. The inner apartment derives its light through these, and over the top of the cross-wall, from the outer one, but this latter enjoys no light save what enters by the low doors. The cross-wall may have been of subsequent erection, but it appears to be of contemporaneous workmanship. The roof of this singular dwelling is formed by the approximation of successive stone courses of the building, to within a couple of feet at the top, where it is covered in with flat stones. No trace of chimney, hearth, or window is discernible. The door towards the north is now blocked up by the fall of debris from above, but appears to have been formerly flanked by walls forming a little enclosure externally at each side. In many cabins I have observed the same arrangement

of two opposite doors, one of which, according to the quarter from which the wind blows, excludes the cold, while the other serves for the admission of light. I find it hard to reconcile myself to the idea that these were the dwellings of Christian ecclesiastics. They betoken far more of the power and energy of the Pagan period, when great fortresses were erected for the living, and great sepulchres for the dead. Mortar has been employed in all the early churches, but in none of these; neither have I seen nor heard of any Christian symbol, such as a cross or other ecclesiastical token, on any of them. Yet from the situation of some of these, represented by Dr. Petrie, they appear to have formed portions of monastic establishments. O'Flaherty (West Connaught, p. 68) speaks of some of greater size than any that now remain. "They," he says, speaking of the Arran people, "have cloghans, a kind of building of stones layd one upon another, which are brought to a roof without any manner of mortar to cement them, some of which cabins will hold forty men on their floor; soe ancient nobody knows how long agoe any of them was made. Scarcity of wood, and store of fit stones, without peradventure, found out the first invention." Clochan-a-Phooka

would hold about twenty persons. It is not within any ecclesiastical precinct; and the same may be said of Clochan-a-Carrigy, illustrated by Petrie, which lies to the left of the road, beyond the creek of Kilmurvy, at a still greater distance from any church. My own impression would be that they are gentile dwellings, found vacant by the first Christian recluses, and by them inhabited for want of better.

Proceeding towards the creek of Port Murvy, which penetrates a considerable distance into the island, we arrive at a series of wayside monuments, pillars, crosses, standing-stones, and cairns of modern as well as ancient date, marking the boundary between the two divisions of the island, the southern pertaining to the monastery of Enda, at Killany, and the northern to that of St. Brecan, at the Seven Churches, lying about three miles north from Port Murvy. From the traditions of the islanders, as well as from some passages in the Acta, it would appear that this division was not effected without considerable

commotion. Descending to Port Murvy we catch sight of Dun-Angus, lying inward from the head of the vale, on the Atlantic brow of the opposite eminence. But before reaching Dun-Angus we have still further Christian antiquities to encounter.

Port Murvy derives its name from the Fir-Volg chief, Muirbheach Mil, some remains of whose Dun still encircle the precinct occupied by the Church of Mac Duagh. Teampul-Mic-Duagh is an edifice of the end of the sixth, or beginning of the seventh century. The Cathedral of Colman, the son of Duagh, on the mainland of Clare, was founded in A.D. 610, and this church, probably, was erected at an earlier period of his la bours. The body of the church is evidently the original building. It is of considerable size, and built of stones which in any other region would be regarded as enormous. Four and five stones in length, and five and six in height, form some of the courses of the side walls. It is distinguished by the "flat rectangular projections or pilasters of masonry at the angles, described by Petrie, in connexion with his illustration of the Church of Mac Dara. Mac Duach's Church wears an iron aspect, as well on account of the rusty colour of the stone, as of the severity and solidity of the building. The east end of the original edifice has been thrown open, and a chancel has been added. The heavy limestone block, with its semicircular indentation, which formed the top of the original round-headed cast window, still lies on the ground, at the end of the church; just as at Clonmacnoise, the stone which served the same purpose in the east window of the cathedral there, having been removed, to make way for a Gothic chancel, in the thirteenth century, has been preserved at the foot of the great cross, where it now serves as a species of chair-back within which rheumatic patients repose their shoulders. The addition at Teampul Mic Duach is easily distinguished from the origi nal building by the appearance of the masonry, as well as by the parapetted side walls rising, as I have already remarked, to so great a height, for the protection of that end of the roof. A cairn and standing-stone, decorated with an ornamental cross, mark the grave of some unknown holy person, imme. diately in front of the western doorway. This church stands immediately be

hind the farm-yard and offices of Mr. O'Flaherty, a gentleman of property, and magistrate, who may be regarded as the chief-justice and chancellor of the islands.

Leaving the curtilage and grazingfields of Kilmurvy, and turning to the left, we again ascend the rocky eminence, and after a walk of half-a-mile, reach the outer rampart of Dun-Angus, a dry stone wall of about three feet in thickness. This circumvallation encloses a space of eleven acres. A similar wall on each side of the avenue flanks it onward from the outer en trance to a second line of rampart, lying close to the main body of the fortress. This second wall apparently consisted of a banquette and parapet, as it is built in two sections, each about four feet thick. All round the base of this second rampart, and extending from it over the space between it and the outer wall, sharp-pointed fragments of rock are pitched on end, covering the whole surface with an abbatis of stone, so thick and intricate that even now it is with difficulty one can approach the place save by the avenue. This multitude of long grey stones, standing arrayed round the base of the fortress, like infinite headstones of the dead, amazes and con

founds the eye. Within the second rampart, the space to the central for. tress is clear, and the avenue conducts direct to the entrance, which is still perfect, about the middle of the eastern front of the building. On a larger scale, it exactly resembles the lowbrowed doorway to aclochan, and must at all times have been entered on foot. Owing to the accumulation of debris at present, the visitor must climb in on hands and knees under the wide, massive lintel stones. At the right, on entering, are the remains of a flight of steps conducting to the lower banquette, the form of which is with difficulty traceable among the masses of fallen stone. One or two other indications of stairs may be detected; but were it not for the very distinct construction of the rampart in three concentric sections, one would be at a loss to understand the principle of the construction. ascending the mound, however, the three concentric walls are seen in perfect distinctness, the middle one rising through the ruins of the other two, save in one or two points, where the exterior envelope still stands to near

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