A List of the Existing National Monuments of Ireland, in the County of Kerry, Furnished inReply to the Circular Letter of the Committee of Antiquities of the Royal Irish AcademyAuthor(s): Henry StokesSource: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. Polite Literature and Antiquities, Vol. 1(1879), pp. 21-25Published by: Royal Irish AcademyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20489929 .

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STOKt:S- On Existing National Monuments of Ireland. 21

YIJI.-A LIST OF TiEE EXISTING NATIONAL MxONtxNTS OF IRELANDt IN THE COUrTY OF XERRY, FIISHED [N REPLY TO THE CeUnAR LET TER OF THE COMMITTEE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY.

By HENRY STOKES, C. S., &C.

[Read 9th January, 1871.]

1. Round Tower at ]Rattoo, Barony of Clanmaurice (Ordnance Slap, sheet 9. 1st ]Rattoo Churek. See No. 8.)-This tower is in good pre servation, and is now the only one left in Xerry. It is ninety-four feet high, and only a few stones off the top of the conical roof have fallen down. It is in the demesne of Rattoo, with a small graveyard walled in around it; the present proprietor, Mr. Wilson Gun, takes very good care that no injury shall be done to it.

2. Artfert Abbey Ruins, same Barony (Sheet 20).-This is one of our most interesting monastic ruins, and being in the demesne of Ard fert, and well guarded by its present proprietor, Mr. William T. Crosbie, its preservation is secure.

3. Ardfert Church, called the Cathedral and Chapel, same Barony, (Sheet 20).-Here is in one group the remains of the ecclesiastical architecture of four centuries before the Reformation. There is an eastern church window of singular beauty in a gable of about 35 feet high, which is in danger of being lost from decay and the increasing departure of its side-walls. There is a church of about 100 feet long, with long narrow windows in the south wall, which overhangs 7 or 8 inches in its height of about 22 feet, and which I offered to draw back by alternating shrinking iron bars, for a small sum to cover expenses, but nobody would pay.

It is the intention of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Kerry to pur chase the old parish church (now condemned) and the ruins attached to it, from the Commissioners of the Irish Church Temporalities, and to " restore" the ancient Cathedral. [See Lord Dunraven's photograph.] The remains of the round tower, which fell about ninety-five years ago, are all gone from sinking graves, and from tombs being built with the stones of it.

4. Lisloughtin Abbey, Bazy of Iraghticonnor (Ordnance Map, Sheet 3).-This appears to have been a monastery of the same kind as Ard fert, but of a poorer and coarer kind. It is situated near the Lower Shannon, within a mile of Ballylongford. There was a fine square tower in the middle of the ruins which fell last year from being

undermined by people rooting for treasure, which tradition and dreamers made certain of finding there. I believe the whole of the buildings will be levelled in due time by this practice, as the present proprietor, Major James Crosbie, of Ballyheigue Castle, who is tenant to Trinity College, Dublin, does not care to prevent it, and stones are scarce thereabouts.

5. Killahan Cro88, Barony of Clanmaurice (Sheet 15).-This is one of the only two large old stone crosses I know in Kerrv. The speond is

R. I. A. PROC.-VOL. I., BER. IT.t POL. LIT. AND ANTIQ. E

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22 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy.

at Kil]liney (No. 10). It stands about 100 yards away from a small graveyard in the paxish of Killahan. It is about 10 feet high, and

made of sandstone. It is a Greek cross, one arm -broken off. There is a small one at Killiney churchyard, in Corkaguiny Barony, quite

rectangular. 6. Kilmalchedor Church and Hermitage, Barony of Corkaguiny.

This is the ruin of the largest stone-roofed church to be found, I believe. The roof is all gone. The architecture is of the earliest Christian period.

Within a mile of the church is the hermitage, with a most perfect stone

roof, the largest remaining in Kerry. It is perfectly dry inside. The art of building such roofs with stones laid on the flat appears to be either forgotten or abandoned, for no good reason. See my model of the hermitage presented through Dr. Petrie to the Royal Irish Aca

demy, in 1852. Both these monauments are unprotected from being damaged, and the churchyard of Kilmalchedor is not enclosed. The hermitage is used as a sheep-fold.

7. Glenfahan Crypts and Alonuental Stones called Cloghauns, Barony of Corkaguiny (see Ordnance llap of Kerry, Sheet 52).-Here are a great many small buildings like the Kiilmalchedor hermitage, of various shapes and sizes, and in every stage of decay and destruction. A great number of monumental stones, with and without marks, are to be seen over a distance of two miles along the coast-all of great interest to the antiquarian, and protected only by the reverence of the people for them: they make sheep-folds of them, nevertheless.*

8. Stradbally Church, Barony of Corkaguiny (Ordnance Sheet 35). -This church always excites some surprise from having its east win dow built to one side of the gable. It is in a small churchyard which is safe from desecration, but, like many of the old churches, it is liable to destruction from being overgrown with ivy. This plant sends its roots through the strongest walls, and bursts them asunder. From

what I have seen of its powers in that way I can easily believe that the round towers at Ardfert and Aghadoe were destroyed by it.t There is a large plant of it on Rattoo Tower, and I have asked Mr. Gun to get it cut away, but he fears to incur the popular odium by touching it, and it might be hard to get any man to do the work. If, however, it could be shown that the object of clearing away the ivy was for the preservation of the tower, and that the Roman Catholic priest could be got to sanction it, I suppose there would be no diffi culty. In the demesne of Rattoo there is an old church with a perfect stone window of a peculiar Gothic pattern, and the gable it is in is very well clothed with the destroying ivy.

* [See on these ruins a paper by the late G. V. Du Noyer, in the eighty-seventh

number of the Journal of the Archaeological Institute, March, 1858, " On the Re

mains of Ancient Stone-built Fortresses and Habitations, occurring to the west of

Dingle, county Kerry."] f The remains of a round tower at Aghadoe still stand about 12 feet high.?

(Ordnance Sheet 66).

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STOKES-0n1 Existing National Monuments of Ireland. 23

9. Garry William Hermitage, and Hilshannig Church, same Barony (tOrdnance Sheet 27).-These remains consist of a very old church [see

Lord Dunraven's photograph], and round crypts or cells built of stone. The sand will soon smother them all, I am told. I have not seen them for twenty years.

10. Killiney Church, same Barony (Ord. Si. 36).-There is a pe culiarity in this ruin which I think remarkable. The church stands attached to an old castle, or a building of exactly the character of the ruined castles, evidently taken down from a greater height. It is in an enclosed churchyard, with the modelr parish church in it, and so is safe enough. Here is one of the old Irish stone crosses. It is about 9 ft. high.

11. Ballinslelligs Abbey, Barony of Iveragh ( Ord. Sh. 97).-This is a very old, and was apparently a very poor abbey. It had a very mas sive stone window, of a very singular pattern, in the east gable of the ch-urch adjoining the sea, which gradualy ulndermined the building, and demolished the window. It is over eighteen years since I warned the late proprietor of the adjoining lands that that very singular

monument would be destroyed by the sea. He laughed at me. The encroachment went on to within 3 ft. of the gable, when I again repre sented the danger to the present proprietor, offering to secure the buildings if he would pay a few pounds, but " he would not." About the same time the Board of Guardians refused to enclose and protect the churchyard, under the powers conferred- upon them by the

Burial Act. About six years ago I went there after a storm, and found the gable and window were a heap of stones and shingle in the sea. I did not hear of it until I saw it-nobody cared. Here is a striking instance of the utter carelessness of all classes for the pre servation of such monuments in Ireland, even of those which it would be supposed are held most sacred.

12. Skelligs Island, Hermitages, Barony of iveraghi (Ord. Sh. 104). -Lord Dunraven's photographs will fully show the character of these stone-roofed buildings, which are of great monumental value. The late lames Butler, of Waterville, who sold the island to the Ballast Board of Ireland for the purpose of erecting lighthouses on it, stipulated as one of the conditions of sale that the old ruins should be carefully pre served. I believe, from what I saw and heard since, that that bargain has not been fulfilled. Mr. Butler, a short time before his death, told me of that clause in his deed of sale, and deplored the destruction that had occurred to several of the buildings. I presume that by repre sentatiou of the matter to the proper authority the further injury to the ruins might be stopped.

13. Tlemplecashel Oratory, sc., same Barony (Ord. Sh. 96).-On the headland next Skellig Island there are several of those stone-roofed her mitages, on one of which I saw a few years ago the greater part of the roof still standing. They are on the estate of Mr. Charles O'Connell, at Moyrisk and Ballinablown. They are uncared for, Mr. O'Connell being an absentee; Dr. Barry, of Cahirciveen, is his agent.

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24 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy.

14. Ballycarberry Fort, same Barony (Ord. Sh. 79).-Is one of the stone-built Lofts, called Danish forts, with alternating flights of steps inside to reach the top rampart. I saw it first about thirty-four years ago, when there was a rectangular building of about 5 ft. square in the centre, with two ffights of steps up to it, like a rostrum; this is now a small heap of loose stones. The fort walls are in good preservation, and quite enough of the inner building is left to show the plan and structure, but it is every year being more and more dilapidated by the cattle. It is on the estate of the Marquis of Lansdowne; and I think a simple request from the Committee, to Mr. W. S. Trench, or his son,

Mr. J. T. Trench, the local agent, asking for an enclosing fence for the preservation of the building, would be at once attended to.

15. Church Island in -Lough Currtane, same Barony (0Ord. Sh. 98). A very ancient church, of the smallest size, I think, I ever saw; it is held to be a most sacred spot. The island, on which this ancient church is situated, contains only 34 acres, and has some ruins which are not ecclesiastical. Except from trespass of cattle, there is no fear of injury. No Roman Catholic in the barony would carry a stone out of it.

16. -Derrynane Abbey, Barony of South Dunkerren (Ord. Sh. 105). One of the earliest Christian churches, with a small, poorly-built mo nastery. Except for the ivy, it is quite safe, and is carefully pre served by Mr. Daniel O'Connell, of Derrynane, whose family burial place it is.

17. Staigue Fort, same Barony (Ord. Sh. 99).-This is the largest and most remarkable of all the stone built Danish forts in Ireland, except two, I am told. It is carefully preserved by Mr. F. C. Bland. There is no trace in the centre of the amphitheatre, or flights of steps, or of such a rectangular building as that which stood in the fort at Bally carberry (No. 14). There is a model of this Fort in the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, which is quite a misrepresentation. I think a model, correctly made to scale, was presented to the Royal Irish Academy after the Dublin Exhibition of 1852.

18. Druidical Circle, Barony of Glenarought (Ord. Sh. 108).-The only remains of anything like a Stonehenge to be found in Kerry is on the lands of Cashelkeelty. The circle contains most of the stones for two-thirds round at least, but more than half of them are fallen. Preservation in this case is not wanting; nobody will touch them.

19. Aluckross Abbey, Barony of Jfagunihy (Ord. Sh. 74).-This is the best monument of the monastic order in Kerry. It is in safe keeping with the present proprietor, Mr. H. A. Herbert, M. P., and has always been carefully preserved by his ancestors; but time and ivy will have their own way.

20. Zilcoleman Abbey, Barony of Trughanaemy (Ord. Sh. 47).-A large church, with a very small abbey attached, of much more ancient architecture than the church, which has a very handsome eastern window, partially restored by the proprietor, Sir William D. Godfrey, Bart., who has taken the precaution of putting the churchyard in

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STOKE,S-On Existitng National Monuments of Irelatncd. 25

charge of the Killarney Board of Guardians for enclosure and pro tection.

There are twenty-five ruined castles in the County Kerry, and one of the old castles only is inhabited, viz. Dunloe, the estate of Mr. Daniel Mahony.

I give the following list of the ruined ones, indicating by an asterisk those best worth preserving:

Or. Sh. Owners.

20a Ardea, 100 Marquis of Lansdowne.

2 1 *Ballymackawhin, 15 Trinity College, Dublin.

22 * Ballycarbery, 79 James O'Connell. 23 Bally McAdam, 40 R. J. Marshall.

24 *Ballinskelligs, 97 Richard Mahony. 2)5 *Ballymalis, 57 Oliver D. Stokes, 26 Ballyplymouth, 40 John Blennerhasset. 27 Ballybunion, 4 H. B. Harem.

28 Ballyrdulilen, 29 James O'Connell. 29 Ballybeggan, 29 Do.

30 Bally MeElligot, 39 A. Blennerhasset.

31 'Carrigafoyle, 2 Trinity College, Dublin.

32 Castleisland, 40

3& Castlecove, 107 E. B. Hartopp. 34 *Dromalahane, 65 Sir Rowland Blennerhasset.

35 *Dunkerron, 92 Henry Herbert. 36 *Fenit, 28 John Hurley. 37 Listowel, 10 Lord Listowel. 38 *Minnard, 54 Lord Cork. 39 Molahiffe, 47 Lord Kenmare. 40 *Killaha, 75 R. J. Marshall.

41 *Ross Island, 66 Lord Kenmare.

42 Tralee, 29 Reps. C. Bateman.

43 Cappanacush, 92 Richard Mahony. 44 Beale, 2 Lord Listowel.

Those not mariked * are but partial remains, sometimes not more than a side wall being left standing.

As National Monuments the rest ought to be preserved. So much must also be said of the old ruined churches of apparently little interest to be found in every graveyard. The foregoing only include the most remarkable.

IX.-ON AN ANOCET EoiNzE IMPLEMENT, FOUND NEAR THt HILL OF TA.. By A. G. MORE, F. L. S.

[Read January 23, 1871.]

THE implement to which I wish to invite attention was found by Mr.

John Dillon (of Lismullen, County Meath), while engaged in ferretting

rabbits on some lands close to the well-known Hill of Tara.

It is made of bronze, and in shape resembles somewhat the steel peg of a boy's peg-top. It weighs 16-8 grammes, and is nearly three inches

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