Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 345 



is an account of the building of a duirtheach of wood for St. Moling of Tigh 

 Moling, now St. Mullin's, in the County of Carlow, the artificer being the 

 celebrated St. Gobban, whose reputation as a builder, under the appellation of 

 Gobban Saer, is still so vividly preserved in the traditions of most parts of 

 Ireland, and of whom, in the ancient life of St. Abban, as published by Colgan, 

 it is prophetically said, that his fame as a builder, in wood as well as stone, will 

 exist in Ireland to the end of time. 



" Quidam famosissimus in omni arte lignorum et lapidum erat in Hibernia nomine Gobbanus, 

 cuius artis fama vsque in finem sseculi erit in ea." Ada SS. p. 619. 



This account is preserved in an ancient Irish Life of St. Moling, written on 

 vellum, now in the possession of Mr. Hardiman ; and though, like most of the 

 stories in the Lives of the Irish Saints, it is strongly marked by the legendary 

 character of such works, still it may be received as sufficiently authentic as to 

 the material of the building there erected, and which is distinctly stated to have 

 been wood. Thus, according to the legend, when the artificer demanded the 

 payment agreed on with Moling for his labour, namely, the full of the duirtheach 

 of rye, the saint bid him turn its mouth up, and it should be so filled. This 

 condition was at once complied with. 



" Do beip 5ban qiac ecpe a lam 7 a momj F a 'P> co P "np D ln oaipcheach, 7 ni oeachaio 

 clap ap a tnab oe, 7 ni po cumpcaio oluru claip oib peach a c6ile." 



" Goban laid hold of it by both post and ridge, so that he turned the duirtheach upside down, 

 and not a plank of it started from its place, nor did a joint of any of the boards move from the other." 



Again, from the following note in the Felire Aenguis, at the 4th of April, 

 we learn that the duirtheach of St. Derbhfraich of Druim Dubhain.near Clogher, 

 in Tyrone, the mother of St. Tighernach of Clones, was a wooden structure. 

 Derbhfraich flourished towards the close of the fifth century. 



" Oepbppaich, macaip Uijepnaij Cluana Goip. 1p FP' a apbepc Coechoamaip Dpoma 

 Dubdin in po, lap pemiuo in cpoino DO oluiji eci oc oenum a oeppcije: 



" ' Q t)epbppaich, 



Q macaip Chigepnaij noeim, 

 Coec DO chobatp, nap ba mall, 

 t)luig in cpano hi pail '" c-paeip.' 



" Derbfraich, the mother of Tighernach of Cluain Eois. She is called Coechdamair of Druim 

 Dubhain here, for having refused to split the timber at the erection of her Duirtheach : 

 VOL. XX. 2 Y 



