Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 57 



Most strange ! And Lanigan (vol. iv. p. 412), D' Alton (Essay on Ancient 

 Hist, of Ireland, Sfc., p. 138), and Moore (Hist, of Ireland, vol. i. p. 34, note), 

 repeat the same passage, and draw the same inference, evidently without refer- 

 ring to the passage in Colgan, for if they had done so, they would have instantly 

 seen that, though Colgan notices the destruction of the basilicce, turres, and other 

 cediftcia of Armagh in the year 99-5, he has not the word campanilia, and there- 

 fore makes no distinction between it and turres ! And it is scarcely possible 

 to imagine that Dr. O'Conor could have been ignorant that Colgan constantly 

 translates the word cloictheach of the Irish Annals by the word turris, for it 

 is so rendered by him within three pages of the passage, which Dr. O'Conor 

 thus so shamefully corrupted, viz. : 



" A. D. 1121. Athach gaoithe moire do ticktain in Decemb. na bliadhna so, co ro la a bhendcobhar 

 do cloictheach Ardamacha." 



Thus translated by Dr. O'Conor : 



" A. D. 1121. Tempestas venti ingens evenit in mense Decembri anni hujus, quae destruxit 

 tectum Campanilis Ardmachani." 



Thus by Colgan : 



" A. D. 1121. Ingens venti tempestas hoc anno in mense Decembri supremum tectum TURRIS A rd- 

 machance deiecit." Trias Thaum. p. 300. 



But more than this the word turris is also used by him as a translation of 

 cloictheach, in his version of the passage in the Annals of the Four Masters 

 relative to the burning of the belfry of Slane; and this Dr. O'Conor must have 

 known, as he has adduced it (ut supra, p. 49) as a proof that the cloictheacha, 

 or belfries, of the Irish Annals could not be the Round Towers. Thus : 



"A. D. 948. Cloiccliech Slmne DO lopccao oo JjhallaiE co n-a Ian DO mionnaib', 

 oejoaoimb', im Chaomechaip, peap-leijinn Slaine, ajup bachall an Bplariia, ajup clocc 

 ba oeach DO cloccaib." 



"A. D. 948. Coeneackair, id est Probus, Prcelector seu Prcefectus Scholce Slanensis, inipsa TURRI 

 Slanensi fluminis \_flammis] per Danos enecatus interijt, cum multis alijs pijs socijs Sanctorum Reli- 

 quijs, 8? bacuk ipsius Sancti Antistitis, nempe Sancti Erci patroni loci." Trias Thaum. p. 219. 



Having now, I trust, fully examined Dr. O'Conor's authorities, and proved 

 their insufficiency, I proceed to an investigation of his etymological evidences, 

 which, I have no doubt, I shall show to be equally visionary ; and in this in- 

 vestigation I gladly avail myself of the assistance and authority of one, infi- 



VOL. xx. i 



