Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 269 



Annals of the Four Masters, we have an additional evidence that this church 

 was erected by him : 



"A. D. 926. Colman, mac Qiltlla, ppmcepp Cluana mac Noip, 7 Cluana Ipaipo, o'ej. 

 Ip leip DO pineo oaimliajj Cluana mac Noip. t)o ConailliB TTIuipremne." 



" A. D. 926. Colman, son of Ailill, chief [abbot] of Clonmacnoise and Clonard, died. It was by 

 him the cathedral of Clonmacnoise was erected. He was of the Conaille Muirthemne." Chron. Scot. 



" A. D. 924. Colman, mac Oilella, abbao Cluana lopaipo 7 Cluana mac Noip, eppcop 

 7 ooccop ejnaio, D' 65. Cfp leip DO ponnao tDaimliacc Cluana mac Noip. t)o ConailliB 

 ITIuipcemne a cenel." 



" A. D. 924. Colman, son of Ailell, abbot of Clonard and Clonmacnoise, a bishop and sapient 

 doctor, died. It was by him the Cathedral of Clonmacnoise was built. He was of the tribe of 

 Conaille Muirthemne." Ann. Quat. Mag. 



We have also what may be considered a further evidence of the period of 

 the erection of this church in the splendid stone cross at Clonmacnoise, which 

 is unquestionably coeval with it, and which affords in itself an evidence, that 

 the Irish at this period were not ignorant of the art of sculpture, and there- 

 fore not incompetent to apply it to architectural purposes. That such crosses 

 were erected as memorials of the founders of distinguished churches in Ire- 

 land is proved by one at Tuam, inscribed with the names of Toirdhelbhach 

 ' Conchobhair, or Turlogh O'Conor, monarch of Ireland in the early part of 

 the twelfth century, and the archbishop, Aedh O'Hoisin, by whom the cathedral 

 church of Tuam was rebuilt ; and, in like manner, by a similar cross at Cashel, 

 which is obviously cotemporaneous with a beautiful church there, called Cor- 

 mac's Chapel, which was erected about the same period as the cathedral at 

 Tuam. The style of these crosses is, as I shall hereafter show, when I come 

 to speak of the churches of Cashel and Tuam, of a more complex character than 

 that of the cross at Clonmacnoise, which is of that simple form, which may be now 

 considered to be as peculiarly Irish as the Round Towers themselves. Any 

 doubt, however, which might be entertained respecting the age of this cross, 

 or the purpose for which it was erected, will at once be removed by the fact, 

 that the names of the abbot Colman and of the monarch Flann appear engraved 

 in compartments upon it ; and though these inscriptions are now greatly 

 effaced, enough remains to enable a judicious Irish scholar, familiar with 

 this class of inscriptions, which is still numerous in Ireland, to determine what 



