434 Mr. PETRIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



and illustrated, and which, in its original state, was so perfectly similar to these 

 buildings, was one of the same class, though of somewhat later age. And lastly, 

 as another example of this class of buildings, I may point to that called St. 

 Molaise's House, at Devenish, a building which, though unfortunately no longer 

 remaining, we have evidence to show to have been exactly similar to these 

 structures in every thing but the superiority of its masonry. Of this building 

 I shall treat more fully in connexion with its cotemporaneous Round Tower ; 

 but respecting its antiquity and use, I gladly avail myself of the concurrent 

 opinion of a very distinguished antiquary, the late Sir Eichard Colt Hoare, 

 namely, that " this was certainly the original chapel, and perhaps the habitation 

 of the saint who first sought retirement in this island." Nor can I conclude this 

 section in more appropriate words than those of the same writer, in relation to 

 this class of our buildings, our Round Towers, and sculptured crosses. That, 

 " although monastick architecture may fall short, both in design and good 

 execution, and be obliged to yield the palm of superiority to the sister kingdoms, 

 yet Ireland, in her stone-roofed Chapels, Round Towers, and rich Crosses, may 

 justly boast of singularities unknown and unpossessed by either of them." 



SUBSECTION V. 

 EKDAMHS. 



IN the First Part of this Inquiry, p. 54, it became necessary to controvert the 

 opinion of Dr. O'Conor, that the word erdam had been used by the Irish 

 annalists synonymously with cloictheach, to denote a belfry ; and I then stated 

 that I would prove incontrovertibly that the word erdam signifies a building 

 attached laterally to another building, as a sacristy, and not a belfry, as Dr. 

 O'Conor supposed. On this point we have the decisive authority of the cele- 

 brated Cormac Mac Cullenan, who thus explains the word in his Glossary : 



" Gupootn, .1. upoom .1. aupcejoaip, no FP ia cejoaipaneccaip." 

 " Aurdom, i. e. urdom, i. e. side-bouse, or against a house externally." 



I should further state that the word is variously written aurdom, urdom, 

 erdom, irdom, and urdom, and is obviously compounded of the words cap, 

 end, limit, and octm, or oom, a house. A similar ancient compound of the prefix 

 ir with teach, a house, is explained by O'Clery by the modern compound cuil- 

 teach, i e. back-house. But, though we have thus distinct, evidences of the 



