Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 51 



all the passages referred to in the Irish Annals, " Fiadh-Nemeadli" or "Indicia 

 Ccelestia." Thus : 



" A. D. 898. Cosccrach fris araite Turaghan Angcoire Insi Cealtra decc." 



Which Dr. O'Conor translates : 



" A. D. 898. Coscrachus a quo dicitur Turris anachoretica Insula? Celtrse obiit." 



To this passage Dr. O'Conor appends the following note : 



" Turaghan, a Tur turris, et aghan vel adhan accensio ignis, ut in Vocabulariis Hibernieis, 

 forsanamoreDruidico ignes sacros in his turribus accendendi, etquibus alios ignes solemnes accen- 

 debant in quatuor anni temporibus, ut in veteri Glossario apud Llhuydum in Archreologia, voce 

 Bacd-tinne. Ha? turres, postea a Giraldo Ecclesiastics appellate, a Cliristianis ad usum Anachore- 

 taruni accommodata: fuisse videntur, ut in textu apparet. Vide Annal. Inisfal. p. 148." 



Thus we are to infer from the passage in the text, that the Towers were used 

 for anchorites in Christian times, and from the etymology of the word Turaghan, 

 as given in the note, that they were originally designed to contain the Druidical 

 sacred fire. I might acknowledge the accuracy of this translation of the text, 

 and the probability of the etymology, and yet deny the justness of the inferences, 

 drawn from them, for the anchorite Tower of Iniscealtra may not have been 

 a Round Tower ; and, notwithstanding Dr. O'Conor's reference in proof of the 

 contrary, there is no other passage in the Irish Annals in which anchorite 

 Towers are mentioned, or in which the word Turaghan occurs. But I have 

 a far weightier objection to urge. From the first moment that I read the pas- 

 sage, I doubted the accuracy either of the text, or of the translation, and, being 

 anxious to have these doubts resolved, I addressed a note to the late Mr. 

 O'Reilly, the distinguished Irish lexicographer, requesting his examination of 

 the text in his MS. copy of the Annals of the Four Masters, and his opinion of 

 the translation given by Dr. O'Conor. From the reply with which he favoured 

 me I extract the following observations : 



" I have, as you requested, examined my manuscript copy of the Annals of the Four Masters, 

 and I find that you had, as I have myself, good reason to doubt the correctness of Doctor O'Conor 

 in his publication of the Irish Annals. The words of the text in the MS. agree with the printed 

 text in every thing but one ; but that one makes a material difference in the affair. The words 

 of the MS. are these: ' Copccpac FPT a paire Cpuajan anjcoipe Inp Cealqia...oecc.' The 

 word Truaghan the Doctor has, upon what authority I know not, but I believe without any, con- 

 verted into Turaghan, as you have it, and as it is in print, and this he has made an Anchorite Tower 

 in his translation, and a Fire Tower in his note. 



II 2 



