84 Mr PETRIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



racter of Pagan Ireland, whose descent has been traced back to Babylonia and 

 Persepolis, the ancient of days." To this I answer, that the Druidical origin 

 of the Ogham writing still remains to be proved ; but, even granting that it is 

 Druidical, as he states, the finding of an inscription in this character at Ardmore 

 would prove nothing, as it is perfectly certain that the character was used by 

 Christian ecclesiastics both in manuscripts, and inscriptions on stone. But I 

 have a stronger objection to make on this point. I utterly deny that the lines 

 on the stone at Ardmore are a literary inscription of any kind, and I challenge 

 Mr. Windele to support his assertion by proof. So much then for the dis- 

 coveries at Ardmore ! 



These discoveries not being deemed absolutely conclusive, further explora- 

 tion in other similar structures was considered necessary ; and accordingly the 

 South Munster Antiquaries proceed to examine the Tower of Cashel, and the 

 result was such as " satisfied the explorers that, at least, all the Towers were not 

 sepulchral." But I had nearly forgotten that, though they ascertained that 

 the Tower of Cashel was not a sepulchre, they discovered evidences to favour 

 the conclusion that it was a sacred fire-temple, namely, a few particles of char- 

 coal in a small hole at the base of the Tower on the outside. And Mr. Win- 

 dele triumphantly asks, " whether these could have ever formed any portion of 

 a sacred fire once burning within the tower, who can affirm or rationally deny?" 

 Now I, for one, will rationally, as I think, deny the probability of such a con- 

 clusion, and I think I can assign very sufficient reasons for doing so. In the 

 first place, I repeat that we have no evidence whatever that sacred fires were 

 ever lighted in Towers in this country; but we have an abundance of evidence, 

 which I shall hereafter adduce, to prove that the Towers, that is, the wooden 

 floors, &c. of them, as well as the churches, were often burned by the plundering 

 Danes. But, to come to an evidence more in point in connexion with Cashel 

 itself, is Mr. Windele ignorant that in the year 1495 the cathedral, with which 

 the Tower is in immediate contact, was burned by Gerald, the eighth Earl of 

 Kildare, for which act being accused before the king, his excuse was that it 

 was true, but that he had supposed the archbishop was in it ! Now, I ask, 

 would not this conflagration sufficiently account for an abundance of charcoal 

 being found beside its walls, not to speak of a few particles ? But these char- 

 coal remains may be even of later date; for I have been informed that the boys 



