166 



feet, perhaps a little more ; and on closer examination proved 

 to be composed of loose field-stones mixed with earth, ap- 

 parently laid in, upon, and around the urns, with just so 

 much care as not to break them. 



It will not fail to be noticed, that in this latter circum- 

 stance this cairn seems to differ remarkably from most others, 

 for instance Deveril Barrow in Dorsetshire, which has been 

 thought worthy of an elegant descriptive work, and many 

 other of the Wiltshire Barrows, so carefully and scientifically 

 opened by an eminent and accomplished English antiquary, 

 the late Sir Richard Colt Hoare ; and also from the very 

 important cairn opened at Mount Stewart, near Grey-Abbey, 

 in the county of Down, about the year 1807. In these the 

 urns have almost invariably been protected by a kist or stone 

 chest formed of flags, enclosing a considerable space. We 

 have the authority of our distinguished Irish antiquary, 

 Mr. George Petrie, for saying that " the sepulchral urns of 

 Ireland are superior in ornament to any found in England. 

 The ornaments of gold frequently found in them are richer 

 and more numerous." And he does not hesitate to infer 

 from these and other facts, that " the pagan Irish were supe- 

 rior in the arts of civilized life to their British neighbours." 



These urns found at Loughanmore were found to have 

 been all placed with the mouth downwards. They lay rather 

 closely together, scarce eighteen inches apart from each 

 other, the smaller urns appearing to surround the larger one^ 

 which was that broken by the horse. 



The two smaller sized urns were of the same size, and 

 would hold probably eight or nine quarts of liquid each. 



No metallic remains of brass or bronze; no flint arrow- 

 heads, stone adzes, or any other remains were found. Every 

 probability exists of future discoveries of a most interesting 

 description being made on a stricter examination of this 

 cairn. 



Opportunities such as this daily ofler themselves in this- 



