274 Mr. PETEIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



Taking our ancient authorities as a guide in this Inquiry into the age of 

 ornamented churches, I may next notice those of Killaloe and Inishcaltra, in 

 Munster, as buildings said to have been erected, or re-erected, in the tenth cen- 

 tury, by the monarch Brian Borumha, as thus stated by Keating : 



" Gp 6 6pian pop cug plomnce po peac ap peapaiK 6ipionn, ap a n-aicionneap jac pil cpeab 

 pa leir oiob. Gp leip map an jj-ceaona oa eojBao cempull Cille t)atua, ajup ceampull Innpe 

 Ceallcpac, ajupoo h-acnuuioioo cloicceac Chuama ^P^ine." Heating's History of Ireland, 

 Reign of Brian Borumha. 



" It is Brian also that gave distinct surnames to the men of Ireland, by which every separate 

 tribe of them is known. It is by him likewise the church of Cill Dalua, and the church of Inis- 

 Cealltrach were erected, and the steeple of Tuaim Greine was renewed." 



Should it be objected, that a more ancient authority than that of Keating 

 ought to be adduced in proof of these erections, I must confess that I am unable 

 to find one, as the Life and Actions of Brian, by Mac Liag, his secretary, from 

 which Keating, as well as Mac Curtin, who also states these facts, most probably 

 derived his information, has not fallen into my hands ; but I may remark, that I 

 consider the authority of Keating, on matters of this kind, as quite sufficient, for 

 it is well known to all Irish scholars that his work is only a faithful compilation, 

 as he states, from the original manuscripts of the country : an examination of 

 the existing churches at Killaloe and Inishcaltra becomes therefore of the 

 highest importance in this Inquiry, and I shall accordingly treat of each sepa- 

 rately. 



At Killaloe, then, we have two ancient buildings, namely, the cathedral and 

 a small stone-roofed church, situated immediately to the north of it, of which the 

 wood-cut on the next page represents the west front. That the cathedral church is 

 not of Brian's time is, however, sufficiently obvious from its architectural details, 

 which clearly belong to the close of the twelfth century ; and its re-erection is 

 attributed, with every appearance of truth, to Donnell More O'Brien, king of 

 Limerick, who died in the year 1194. Yet, that a more -ancient church, and one 

 of considerable splendour, had previously existed on its site, is evident, from a 

 semicircular archway in the south wall of the nave, now built up, and which is 

 remarkable for the richness of its embellishments in the Romanesque or Norman 

 style. It is true that this archway, of which a drawing and description will be 

 found in the Third Part of this Inquiry, does not appear to be as old as the time 



