146 Mr. PETRIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



quendam captiuum eo refugij causa effugientem, ex Ecclesia sacrilego ausu extraxit, Sf in lacu de 

 Loch kirr, vrbi versus Occidentem adiacenti, suffbcauit." Trias Thaum. p. 296. 



The Annals of the Four Masters next record the burning of Armagh at the 

 year 914, without any reference to its buildings; but the Annals of Ulster re- 

 cord the same event in detail at the year 915. I quote the original of the latter 

 notice, as printed by Dr. O'Conor, and I also give his translation of it, though 

 incorrect in many respects : 



" A. D. 915. Ardmacha do loscadh di ait i. q. nt Kl. Mali, i a kith deiscertach cosintoi 7 cosin- 

 tshaboll i cosincucin 7 cusindlius ab. huile." 



" A. D. 915. Ardmacha combusta partim, quinto Kalendamm Mali, i. e. dimidium ejus australe, 

 cum stramine, et granario, et tecto, et domicilio munito Abbatias totius." 



It might be supposed from the preceding translation that this record could 

 have no reference to the burning of the churches of Armagh, and that it could 

 not be used in any way to prove that they were of stone ; but I shall presently 

 show (p. 149) that the contrary is the fact, and that the words of the annalist 

 which Dr. O'Conor understood to mean stramen, i. e. straw, granarium, a barn, 

 and tectum, a roof, were actually not only churches, but even stone churches. 

 The original passage is thus given in the vellum copy of the Annals of Ulster, 

 preserved in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin : 



" A. D. 915. Opomaca DO lopcao DO cene oiait i quinco Kalenoapum ITlai, .1. a leirh oeip- 

 ceprach, cop in Uoi, 7 cop in c-Saball, 7 cup in Chucin, 7 cop mo f.iup Qbbaib h-uile." 



The correct translation of the passage is undoubtedly this : 



" A. D. 915. Armagh was burned by lightning on the fifth of the Kalends of May, i. e. its 

 southern half, together with the [church of~\ Toi, and with [the church of] Sabhatt, and with the 

 Cucin [or kitchen], and with the entire of the Lis Abbaidh, [or the fortified enclosure of the abbots]." 



In the next entry the churches of Armagh are noticed under the name of 

 ceall. It occurs in the Annals of Ulster under the year 920, and is as follows, 

 as in the College MS. copy : 



" A. D. 920. Inopeo Gipomachu h-i 1111. ID. Nouembpip 6 <5 a ^ a 'k CEcha cliach, .1. o 

 ^Jorbpir Oa lineup, cum puo exepcicu, .1. ip in c-Sacupn pia Peil mapcain ; 7 na caiji aep- 

 naijri DO anacal laipco n-a lucr DO ceilib oe, 7 01 lobpaib, 7 in cell olcena, nipi paucip in ea 

 ceccip exaupcip pep incupiain." 



Thus correctly translated by Dr. O'Conor : 



" A. D. 920. Ardmacha vastata iv. Id. Novembris per Alienigenas Dublinienses, i. e. per Gof- 



