HARD WICK E'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



129 



mortarless structures are those move likely to be 

 built. 



The rectangular cloghauns of Aran are very similar 

 to those found on the Great Skilligs, co. Kerry, 

 except that the latter have only one doorway, and 

 that placed in the end, while the cloghauns in the 

 ancient city of Eaher, on the Dingle promontory, 

 seem to have been round. The city of Faher is 

 supposed to have been pre-Christian, while the Great 



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Fig. SI. Rectangular Cloghaun at S.W. of Onaght, 

 InUhmore. 



Fig. 62. Cloghaun S.E. of Loir.sburgti, co. Mayo. 



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Fig. 83. Sectional elevation of a single Cnocan. 



Skilligs is known to have been a penal station for 

 refractory monks long after the advent of Christianity, 

 and probably they, and the rectangular cloghauns on 

 Aran, may be of post-Christian age, while the round 

 cloghauns and the cnocans, next to be described, are 

 pre-Christian. 



A new form of cloghaun (fig. 82), not previously 

 described, has lately been discovered in the barony 

 of Murich, co. Mayo. 



The cuocans are structures partly built of stone 

 and partly of clay, as shown in figs. 83 and Si. For 

 this class of habitation no ancient name is at present 

 known, on which account we adopted for them 

 Mr. Kilbride's name of cnocan, anglice Hillhousc, 

 used in a paper read before the Royal Irish Academy, 

 in which were given full details of the then newly 

 discovered settlement at Ballynasean and Crag- 

 bally wee {Proceed. Royal Irish Academy, 1S66). 



Fig. 84. Ground. plan of three- chambered Cnocan. 





Figs. 85 and &6. Elevation and Plan of Calliagh Dirra's House. 



Of the cnocans in Ballynasean a few have rect- 

 angular plans, one of which is divided into two 

 rooms by a partition ; but most of them have round 

 or oval bases, and many are compound or in groups, 

 two or more being connected together by passages 

 built of flags (fig. 84). All inside are lined round the 



