390 Mr. PETKIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



the circumstance of the O'Rourkes having their place of sepulture near it ; and, 

 consequently, that the entry in the annals only relates to a subsequent restora- 

 tion of it, rendered necessary by some accidental circumstance not recorded. 



That this Tower was, indeed, repaired at a period long subsequent to its 

 erection, there is abundant evidence in the masonry of the building itself, the 

 upper portion being of coarse jointed masonry of limestone, while the greater 

 part of the tower below it is of close jointed ashlar sandstone ; and besides, it is 

 quite obvious that the Tower, when such restoration was made, was reduced 

 considerably in its original height, as proportioned to its circumference. It can 

 scarcely be doubted, however, that this restoration is of still later date than that 

 recorded by the annalists at the year 1124, as we find the following entry in 

 the Chronicon Scotorum, and the Annals of the Four Masters, relative to the 

 destruction of the top of the Tower by lightning, in the year 1135. 



"A. D. 1135. Ceme pcnjnein DO beim a chmo oo cloicreach Cluana mac Noip, ajup oo 

 rollao cloicceac 12uip Cpe." 



"A. D. 1135. Lightning struck its roof off the cloictheach of Clonmacnoise, and pierced the 

 doictheach of Koscrea." 



But, be this as it may, we have a decisive evidence in the Annals of the 

 Four Masters to prove that this Tower of Clonmacnoise, if not the smaller one 

 also, was appropriated to the use of a belfry, and known by the same name as 

 originally, so late as the year 1552, when Clonmacnoise was plundered by the 

 English garrison of Athlone, an event of which the tradition of the place still 

 preserves, with all its details, as lively an impression, as if it had been only of 

 recent occurrence. It is thus pathetically recorded: 



"A. D. 1552. Innpao 7 opccain Cluana mac Noip la |5 a ^ al ^ d-ca luam, 7 na cluicc 

 mopa DO bpeic ap an jj-cloiccreac. Ni po paccabab pr cl cc beag na mop, lorhaij, na 

 alcoip, na leaBap, na jemao, p iu gloine h-i B-pumneoicc 6 Balla na h-eccailpi amac nac 

 puccao eipce. 6a cpuaj cpa an jmorii pin, inopao carpac Ciapain, an naorh eplaim." 



" A. D. 1552. Clonmacnoise was plundered and devastated by the Galls (English) of Athlone, 

 and the large bells were carried from the cloictheach. There was not left, moreover, a bell small 

 or large, an image, or an altar, or a book, or a gem, or even glass in a window, from the wall 

 of the church out, which was not carried off. Lamentable was this deed, the plundering of the 

 city of Ciaran, the holy patron." 



But, whatever may be the period of the erection of the great Tower of Clon- 

 macnoise, I have found a decisive evidence of the erection of many Towers, as 



