160 



tected by a pyramid of round white stones. At Kilconway, in tl>e 

 same county, the whole interior of a large circular mount is occu- 

 pied by an artificial cave, in which, under a stone of considerable 

 bulk, was found the usual urn of ashes, with its accompanying 

 bones ; it is called Con's burying place.* 



Some of these simple circular mounts were furnished with sur- 

 rounding seats and benches of earth gradually ascending, -f- which 

 were intended for assemblies of people to view the ceremonies en- 

 acted on the top, or to hear the promulgation of the laws. Both in 

 North Britain and in Ireland the Brehons, or Judges, held their 

 courts on green hills or knolls, around the sides of which the at- 

 tendant multitude was seated on grassy banks.J In Scotland these 

 hills are often called Mote-hills.§ Of this description is the " Hill of 

 Pleas," in the Isle of Skie, where it is said the chief gave law and 

 judgment to his people.^. Such a hill of assembly is to seen near 

 Dromyn, in the county of Louth. And a still more remarkable ex- 

 ample exists near Athy, county of Kildare, on the gentle declivity 

 of the hill of Mullach Mastean, where is the Carmen, or enclosed 

 place, where the states of Leinster assembled. Here may be traced 

 the sixteen conical mounds on which the chiefs sat in lime of coun- 

 cil, forming a circle of sixty-eight feet in diameter; and also the en- 

 trenchments within which the nobles encamped adjacent to the scene 

 of debate. This spot looks down upon the pagan remains near Bal- 



* Survey of Londonderry, p. 497. 



f Parochial Surveys, I. p. 254. 



f Ibid. I. p. 254 In the Scottish Highlands they call them Mute-hills — /. e. word hills, or 



places for deliberation. — Macpherson's Antiq. of Scotland, p. 169. 



§ Spencer says they were anciently called Folk-motes, that is, a place for people " to meet 

 and talk of any thing concerning parties and townships" — and that it is a Saxon-name, probably 

 introduced by the English invaders. — View, p. 127. 



f Pennant's Western Tour, p. 351. — Littleton's Hist. Hen. II. vol. iii. p. 25. 



