rarer 
THE IRISH ARAN. 43 
principal churches in these islands, of which there were three in 
Inis heer, two in Inis maan, and thirteen in Ara Mor, leaving it to 
be inferred that there were others of lesser note. 
No doubt many of these ecclesiastical buildings had fallen into 
decay before the time of Cromwell, but the work of destruction 
was completed by his soldiery in the demolition of the great 
monastery of St. Eany, the stones of which were used to strengthen 
Arkin Castle, a ruin of which I shall speak later on. 
However, the religious antiquities which have until now escaped 
the effacing fingers of time and the ravages of man, are of the 
greatest interest. 
They consist of bullauns or baptismal stones, open air altars, 
like that of St. Eany, holy wells, like St. Eany’s, which never 
dries, and which never contains more than four or five inches of 
water. There is no doubt that many of these open-air relics were 
formerly objects of reverence in pagan times, and that in pro- 
gress of time this reverence has become invested with Christian 
associations. The other remains are those of monasteries and 
churches. 
The most important ruin is that of the church of St. Benan, or 
Benignus (Plate V., fig. 9), the gem of early Irish churches. 
In the interior the length is only 10 feet 10 inches, and the breadth 
6 feet 10 inches. The original height of the gable was 17 feet. 
It stands nearly N. and S. and is constructed of huge blocks of 
stones, one block alone forming nearly the whole of the western 
side. This church undoubtedly dates back to the sixth century, 
and the roof was formed by over-lapping stones. Around it have 
been other churches, especially one dedicated to the Blessed 
Virgin, and near it is the ruin of St. Benan’s humble hermitage, 
which is partly sunk in the rock. Within a few yards are the 
ruins of a rude stone cashel containing several chambers, 
and also a cluster of cloghauns, while at the bottom of 
the slope below it is seen the remains of St. Eany’s monastery. In 
addition to these, all within an area of less than a quarter of a 
Square mile, are to be found the stump of a round tower, the ruin 
of an Elizabethan castle, and three curious sepulchral monuments 
