164 



Mr. PETRIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



at least a cotemporary of the Irish apostle, and not improbably even his nephew. 

 This inscription, which is accurately copied in the annexed wood-cut, 



---^=-^5.,,.;, ,. - . 



is found on an upright pillar of dark limestone, about four feet high, situated, 

 when I sketched it, at a little distance in front of Templepatrick. The letters, 

 which are very deeply cut, and in perfect preservation, may be read as follows : 



LIE LUGNAEDON MACC LMENUEH, 

 or, in English, 



THE STONE OF LUGNAEDON SON OF LIMENUEH. 



That this inscription is of the earliest Christian antiquity will be at once obvious 

 to the antiquarian scholar : there is probably no other inscription in this cha- 

 racter of equally certain antiquity to be found in Ireland ; and it is but rational 

 to assume that the ancient church called Templepatrick is of coeval, or even 

 greater age, unless it be contended that the church was rebuilt, an assumption 

 altogether unreasonable, as no more ancient style of Christian edifice than it 

 exhibits can possibly be found. As it is therefore necessary to my purpose to 

 inquire who this Lugnaedon was, I may in the first place observe, that it is stated 

 in the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, Part II. c. 50, that when the Irish apostle 

 was at Oran, in Magh Aoi, in this very neighbourhood, he was solicited by his 

 Gallic disciples and followers to assign them situations, in which they might 

 lead lives of retirement and contemplation, a request which was complied with ; 

 but, excepting the church of Baislec, which was given to one of them, the 

 localities to which these individuals were directed are not named. Of these 

 Gauls or Franks, who were fifteen in number, with one sister, the names of 

 only three are given, namely, Bernicius, Hibernicius, and Ernicius ; and cer- 



