4 
noble Abbey of Cnoe m-Buaidh, now Knockmoy, in the County 
of Galway, I proceeded there with him, accompanied by my 
son, Henry B. Curry, on Saturday evening, 11th [of June] in- 
stant. Having reached Athenree in due time, and rested for 
the night, we proceeded, on Sunday morning, yesterday, to 
the Abbey, where we arrived after a smart drive of about 
two hours. We found the inscription ma very hopeless state 
of decay, having suffered almost total extinction in several 
places, only three perfect words remaining on the lower line. 
I examined the faint traces that remained, from the first that 
presents itself to the last; but with little satisfaction, until 
I came to the words, ‘ eddichan qui fieri fecit,’ which I read 
with ease, and I may indeed say with delight, as I thought I 
had found a key to the whole, and I knew that it had never 
been read, although attempted by Charles O’Conor, of Belana- 
gare, Theophilus O’Flanagan, Ledwich, Petrie, O’Donovan, 
and others. Dr. Lentaigne and my son then made separate 
drawings of the whole, as far as they could trace it, and, 
having got this, we recovered the leading words, ‘Ora pro 
animabus Malachie,’ and then the name Finola, which clearly 
settled the chief part of the inscription and its proximate date. 
It was not until after my return this morning that I suc- 
ceeded, by the assistance of my friend, Dr. John O'Donovan, 
in settling the Christian name of the artist, which is Con- 
chubhar, and the inscription therefore reads :— 
 ¢ Ora pro animabus malachie, inollain, et chonchubbhuir hi Lodi- 
chan qui fiert fecet’ [sic]. 
** Our next attempt was at the top line, from which, by the 
aid of a ladder, my son, without any assistance from me, 
traced the words, contracted, man3. mur. mur., which will 
be immediately read by any Irish scholar as Manus, Muir- 
chertach Muirchertach ; that is, Manus and two Murtoghs. 
These names are placed under the three skeleton figures 
respectively, and yery faint traces of another short word 
