Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 23 



by a bog or moor, or on one side by a bog, and on the other by water. On 

 this conjecture of Vallancey it may also be remarked, that, if every place in 

 Ireland bearing the name Cluain had received that name from a round tower, 

 there must have been several thousands of Round Towers in the country, and 

 in many places they must have been so congregated together, as to have re- 

 quired the wand of a magician to call them into existence, since they would be 

 too numerous for the population of Ireland, at any period, to erect them. But 

 the assumption is so visionary, that it is puerile to treat it seriously. 



In the succeeding volume of the Collectanea, containing a Vindication of 

 the ancient history of Ireland, General Vallancey again returns to the subject 

 of the Round Towers, and presents us with several names for them, and new 

 evidences in support of their antiquity. In this volume, however, he abandons 

 many of his former theories theories which he had put forward as incon- 

 testible both as to their origin and uses. They are now not African or Phoe- 

 nician towers, but towers of the Persian or Chaldean Magi. They are no 

 longer towers for celestial observations, or, for proclaiming the anniversaries, or, 

 sorcerers' towers, or, towers for the Druids to dance round, they are now only 

 fire-towers of the restored religion of Zerdust or Zoroaster ! 



It is a difficult and rather unpleasant task to follow a writer so rambling in 

 his reasonings and so obscure in his style, but, as his followers are still the 

 most numerous class of my readers, I must get through the labour as well as I 

 can, consoled by the conviction, that little more is necessary to prove the 

 visionary nature of his hypotheses, than to present the arguments on which 

 they rest, in consecutive order. 



" In the Sadder of Zerdusht as given us by Dr. Hyde, we find the fire-temple or Tower, or 

 House of Prayer, named Aphrinaghan; the sacred festivals had the same name : The Persians in 

 India had a stated festival once a month. Hoc convivium seu hae Epulse plurali habet nomen 

 Afrinaghan, i. e. Benedictalia seu benedicendi Epulae, in the singular number it isApherin; or 

 Affrin. In the Chaldee we find 'p'nSN Aphriun, Templum. In Irish Afritlignam is to bless 

 (gnam or gnim is the verb agere vel facere). The Chappel, Mass-house, or House of prayer, is 

 known at this day in Ireland, by no other name than Ti-Afrion, i. e., the house of benediction, 



" There can be no doubt of the round towers in Ireland, having been Fire-towers ; the 7V- 

 aifrionn, the house of benediction. The Arabs call them Perkin, i. e. a fire hearth, in Irish Breocan. 

 The construction of them was well adapted to the purpose: the door being always from 12 to 15 

 feet from the base, the sacred fire at the bottom could not be molested by the wind : it was covered 



