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Mr. PETKIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



In some instances, however, when the well was of small size, it was 

 covered by a small stone-roofed building, exactly resembling a stone-roofed 

 oratory, as in a well at Tobar na Druadh, near Sheepstown, in the County 

 of Kilkenny ; St. Brigid's well at the Faughard, in the County of Louth, still 

 remaining ; and the well called the Lady's Well near Dundalk, of which an 

 engraving is given in Wright's Louthiana, but which has since been rebuilt. 



In like manner, the tombs of the early saints present a variety of forms ; as 

 in those on Aran, which are often rude sarcophagi, somewhat similar to pagan 

 cromleacs or kistvaens, while, at other times, they are small cairns, enclosed 

 by a circular or quadrangular wall. But, though the usual practice appears to 

 have been to mark the grave of Christians simply by unsquared flag stones, 

 marked with a cross, it appears certain, that, in many instances, the sepulchres 

 of very distinguished persons were honoured with tombs of a more architectural 

 character, and which, like the coverings of the wells already alluded to, had 

 a striking resemblance, in everything but size, to the small stone oratories. 

 Of such structures, however, I have discovered but few remains, and none in 



a perfect state, but those which are situated in the County of Londonderry, 

 namely, the tomb of St. Cadan, the Catanus of Patrick's Lives, beside the 



