Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 



273 



of notice here, as a work of the close of the tenth century, when the power of 

 the Danes in Meath was broken for a time at the decisive battle of Tara, in 974, 

 by the valour of the monarch Maolseachlainn. This doorway occurs in the 

 sepulchral chapel of the O'Conors of Connaught, which, from the Registry of 

 Clonmacnoise, appears to have been erected by Cathal, the son of Conor, king 

 of Connaught, who died in the year 1010. The passage is as follows : 



" Thus have the O'Connors their part of that cemeterie, and they gave this for their sepulture 

 place, i. e. a place for sixe little cells belonging to Cluain and fortie eight daies to every cell, viz. 

 Tobar Ilbe 48 daies, Tamhnach 48 daies, Killmuicky 48 daies, Kill m c . Teig 48 daies, Tuillsge 48 

 daies, Kill O'Gealba 48 dayes ; and the O'Connor who bestowed these lands was called Cathal 

 O'Connor." 



Templeconor is now used as the parish church, but all its features, except 

 this doorway, have been destroyed. It appears, however, from the reports of 



the old inhabitants of the place, that its windows were in the same style as the 

 doorway, and without ornament. This church measures externally forty-five 

 feet in length, by twenty-seven in breadth, and the walls are four feet in 

 thickness. 



VOL. xx. 2 N 



