193 



nearly obliterated. To an observing eye it appears quite evident 

 that the whole of the stones forming the door case have been an after 

 work, not only because those which are carved are of a different 

 stone from that of which the tower is built, but that they do not 

 range with the adjoining courses, and that some of the stones in 

 these seem to have been deranged by the insertion of those now 

 forming the door case. That this could have been done without 

 danger is proved by the circumstance of Tullohern tower having 

 stood, and being perfectly upright, though the door stones were all 

 taken away many years ago. 



Had the towers been intended for religious purposes, and had 

 Christian sculpture been once introduced as the means of beautifying 

 them, it is not to be doubted but that it would have been employed 

 upon those which are the most highly finished, being enriched by 

 ornamental carving, as at Devenish and Ardmore, or at Timahoe 

 and Kildare, both of which have chevron and other mouldings 

 round the door-ways. 



The tower of Brechin, in Scotland, is likewise adduced as ano- 

 ther example of Christian sculpture. But here also it may not 

 unreasonably be suspected that the carved arch and figure are of a 

 later date than the tower, and that they might have been inserted 

 into the more recent mason work, with which the space that seems 

 to have been the original door way, was at some subsequent period 

 closed ; probably when another entrance was made from the church 

 into the tower. However that may be, two instances only, among 

 more than seventy towers, afford but narrow grounds whereon to 

 found a general argument, including the whole number ; and would 

 rather tend to the inference, that these sculptures had been in after 

 times added, in the idea of consecrating or sanctifying these edifices, 

 as was frequently done to pillar-stones. 



VOL. xv. c c 



