236, 



as no remnant of plaster is upon them, while some may be traced 

 upon the walls. 



Nearly in the centre of the building rises a low broad tower, 

 which, it has been suggested,* is more modern than the church ; but 

 the mason-work appears to be precisely in the same style as the 

 other parts, and it is supported in such a way as to shew that it 

 must have been erected altogether : it is possible the graduated bat- 

 tlement may be of a later date than the body of the tower, at the 

 same time it may be remarked, that the graduated battlement is to 

 be found in some of the earliest churches of which we have existing 

 ruins, that in Ireland it was frequently used in ecclesiastical build- 

 ings, whilst in England it seems to have been considered as more 

 suited to military or castellated architecture. It however deserves to 

 be noticed, that the whole appearance of this ancient structure 

 bears more of a military than of an ecclesiastical character, and 

 that it is looked upon in that light by the country people, who call 

 it St. Doulagh's castle ; very possibly it may have been built with 

 both these views, as were some abbeys, and all the preceptories of 

 the Knights Templars. If this building was erected by the Danes, 

 according to common opinion, nothing is more probable than that 

 they should have united the two objects in a country where they 

 lived in a state of perpetual struggle and warfare. 



The strength of this fabrick has been sadly tried by the raising 

 upon the tower a most incongruous spire, which can only be consi- 

 dered as disfiguring the ruin. It cost two hundred pounds ; but 

 had fifty been expended in judicious repairs, this most curious build- 

 ing, now fast hastening to decay, might have been preserved for 

 ages. 



• Beauties of Ireland, I. p. 234. 



