j.897.^ Ci,0SK. — Gra7iite Boulders in the S.B, of Dublin. 31 



recollection of a similar state of things in places about 

 Killiney and Dalkey. Gabriel Beranger, who has left some 

 valuable drawings depicting antiquarian and other objects, 

 some of which have been destroyed since his time, expresses 

 his delight at the " romantick " rocks about Dalkey, and 

 mentions that a wheeled vehicle could not pass along the 

 street of the village. This was doubtless largely due to the 

 boulders now in question. He gives drawings (both dated 

 1776) of two of these, one a rocking-stone near the sea, about 

 a musket-shot west of Bullock, measuring lo ft. 9 in. by 6 ft. 

 2 in. by 3 ft. at its thickest side. This was very conspicuous to 

 every passer-by ; it was what glacialists call a perched block 

 on the top of what his drawing shows to have been a roche 

 moutonnee, which was weathered along some vertical joints. 

 This stone, however, had ceased to rock a few years before he 

 saw it ; and it has since ceased to exist, that is in its integ- 

 rity. He gives also a drawing of a magnificent boulder ** on 

 the top of Dalkey Hill," not necessarily meaning at the very 

 summit. It covered a small well, and was called Clogh Tubber 

 Gileen — the Stone of Gileen's Well. Its dimensions were 

 22 ft. 6 in. by 10 ft. 4 in. by between 11 and 12 ft. in height. 

 Supposing it to have been rudely ellipsoidal in shape, with 

 which the drawing is consistent, its weight must have been 

 at least 140 tons. I made inquiry about this lately from 

 several old people of the locality, but none of them had ever 

 heard of it. The cromlech, with its circle of large stones 

 round it, which existed on Dalkey Common until it was 

 broken up to build the nearest Martello tower, was of course 

 composed of boulders which the cromlech-builders had at 

 hand. By way of some small relief to the melancholy 

 account just given, let us note the survival of a fine boulder, 

 a perched block, still standing on a roche moutonnie near, 

 and visible from, the public park near Sorrento Terrace. 

 It is somewhat cuboidal, and measures 8 by 6 by 6 feet. Its 

 effect, however, is sadly marred by the fact that it is now in 

 the little parterre of a villa shut in by walls. It is evidently 

 prized by the present occupants, who perhaps belong to the 

 Field Club ; it stands, then, a good chance of being preserved. 

 At the same time it reminds us too strongly of that melan- 

 choly sight, a caged eagle ; and one is almost (not quite) 



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