244 



Mr. PETRIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



devastations by the Danes that would create a necessity for such re-erection, 

 the inference is, I think, only natural, that this church, as its style of ornament 

 seems to me to indicate, was erected about the middle of the eighth century. 



In addition to the church which I have now noticed, there are also at Eahin 

 the ruins of two smaller churches, which attest its former importance ; and it is 

 not improbable that there anciently existed here a group of seven small churches, 

 such as are usually found at other celebrated religious establishments in Ireland. 

 Of these churches, one is greatly dilapidated, and retains no ornamented fea- 

 ture ; but the other, which is nearly entire, is worthy of an ampler notice in this 

 place, on account of its very perfect and beautiful doorway, the ornaments of 

 which, though possibly not of equal age with those of the principal church, 

 already described, indicate at least a very considerable antiquity. The general 

 architectural character of this doorway will be sufficiently xmderstood from the 



prefixed engraving, from which it will also be seen that its jambs have the incli- 

 nation inwards, so characteristic of the earlier Irish architecture. 



