180 



half their language is composed of Median words. They call their 

 country Ironistan, and themselves Ir and Iron.* 



That before the invasions of the Danes we had lime and stone 

 buildings is evident, from those still existing remains of the churches 

 of Columba, the Culdees, and some even of those erected by their 

 predecessors. And there is also standing in the county of London- 

 derry, between the city of Derry and Faughan, the ruins of the 

 palace of Niel Cabr^, who was king of Ireland, A. D. 832. 

 This palace was famous for the councils and convocations held 

 there, and was one of the three royal palaces of Ulster.-f* It is 

 also to be observed, that no round tower has been built since the 

 landing of the English ; that previously, during the tyranny of the 

 Danes, the erection of only one is mentioned, and that is attributed 

 to an Irish prince ; had they been introduced along with Chris- 

 tianity, they would certainly have been mentioned, as the ancient 

 annals are minute in recording the foundations and buildings of 

 several of the early Christian teachers. Would not the monkish 

 writers too, have been pleased to draw attention towards them ? 

 But on the contrary, they leave them in the same obvious silence as 

 they do cairns, and pillars, and other pagan remains ; the presumption 

 therefore is, that they are of an earlier date than any of the ecclesias- 

 tical remains. Yet, when the tower of Downpatrick was pulled 

 down, the foundations of part of a building larger than the an- 



* Klaproth's Travels in the Caucasus and Georgia, p. 37.— The Georgian part of the Cau. 

 casus is called Hiberia by John de Piano Carpini, who visited the country in 1225 — Ibid, 

 p. 15*. 



In the Pehlivi inscriptions on some ancient coins, Persia is called Airan. Porter's Travels, 



vol. II. p. 127. 



■\ Survey of Londonderry, p. 155. 



