278 Mr. PETRIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



already remarked, I see no just reason to assign it to so late a period, nor is 

 there any thing in its ornamental details, which may not, as I conceive, be 

 with greater propriety assigned to a far earlier age. It will be seen from the 

 prefixed sketch that the capital of the pillar, on the north side, presents a rude 

 imitation of the Ionic scroll, while that on the south side presents two figures of 

 animals resembling lambs ; and, that the architrave exhibits none of the orna- 

 ments considered as characteristic of Norman architecture. 



I should certainly not ascribe the erection of this church to St. Molua, the 

 first patron of the place ; the original church of this saint I take to be that 

 of which there are considerable remains, situated on an island in the Shannon, 

 immediately opposite the cathedral : but the conjecture will not, I trust, be 

 deemed rash, that this church may owe its erection to Molua's disciple, St. 

 Flannan, who was son of Toirdhealbhach, king of Thomond, and who, accord- 

 ing to Ware, was consecrated first bishop of this see at Rome by Pope John IV., 

 about the year 639. That a man habituated to the sight of the Roman 

 churches of this period should have a disposition to imitate, to some extent, 

 their ornamented features, is only what might be expected ; and that he was 

 supplied with the means to do so appears from the fact stated by Ware, that 

 " while he sat here, his Father, Theodorick, endowed the church of Killaloe 

 with many Estates ; and dying full of Years, was magnificently interred in this 

 Church by his Son Flannan" 



But, however this may be, the reasons which I have assigned for doubting 

 that the stone-roofed church at Ivillaloe owes its origin to the illustrious Brian, 

 will, I think, be greatly strengthened by an examination of the church of Inish- 

 caltra, which this monarch is also said to have built, or rather rebuilt, as a 

 church had existed there from the seventh century. As this church may fairly be 

 considered in part, if not wholly, of Brian's time, some agreement should be 

 found between the style of its architectural features and those of the church of 

 Killaloe, if they were really cotemporaneous structures, but it will be seen that 

 no such agreement exists. In point of size indeed there is but little difference, 

 the length of the nave of the church of Inishcaltra, internally, being but thirty 

 feet, and the breadth twenty-one feet, and the chancel being a square of about 

 fifteen feet. These measurements, however, appear to be those of the original 

 church of St. Caimin, which was erected in the seventh century, as it appears 



