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little grandeur. The road there sinks between two hills, that on the 

 right, terminating in the gloomy remains of the church of Screen, 

 while this at the left rises gently from the dark woody skirting of 

 the once noble mansion and demesne of Lord Tara, and uprears on 

 its summit, like a diadem, the royal rath. Near this "the decent 

 church," appears shining in whiteness over one of these ruined villages, 

 which so frequently occur in this unfortunate district, as ever to recall 

 the owl's ill-fated portion in the Eastern story. 



Ascending through a little glen, at the back of Lord Tara's, the at- 

 tention is commanded to several remains of old stone edifices, and par- 

 ticularly of a very narrow bridge, that yet half spans the channel of a 

 weedy rivulet, but though worthy of notice, these ruins do not appear 

 of any comparatively remote antiquity. Thence passing through the 

 before-mentioned village, and crossing the church-yard, where popu- 

 lar tradition still identifies some large rocks, as having exercised the 

 strength or yielded to the sword of Fin Mac-Comhal, (i. e. Fingal,) 

 with other like legends "touching" his champions, the visiter at once 

 finds himself on the summit of Tara; and if he goes there with none 

 of that wild enthusiasm, which requires towers and battlements, and 

 draw bridges, and bower windows, and dongeon keeps, to gratify it, 

 he will feel most awfully the unalterable royalty of the prospect it 

 commands, not of counties alone, but as over subject provinces. 



When the natural advantages of the scene have obtained their duo 

 homage, let him examine the vestiges of " auld lang syne," and there 

 too he will not be disappointed ; for " doubtless the place seemeth to 

 bear the shew of an ancient and famous monument."* Two large 

 raths extend over almost the whole ridge of the summit, they are 

 much superior to the generality of such works, and offer in a small 



* Stanihurst, Descr. Irel. c. 4. 



