; 
251 
cement used in the construction of this North House. We 
found in it bones of oxen and swine, and some sea shells ; 
also the bones of birds, brought there, probably, by foxes. 
‘¢ There was a larger and better defined mound than those 
1 have mentioned, on the edge of the sea-cliff, near Knock- 
ingen, or Knocknagen, just where the little river Delvin, 
dividing the counties of Dublin and Meath, falls into the 
sea, and forms a small sandy bay. A portion of this mound 
had been already washed away, and the remainder seemed 
destined soon to share the same fate. On the beach imme- 
diately below there were several immense stones, which ap- 
parently had fallen from the mound. There was also, perhaps 
a hundred yards to seaward, a considerable number of similar 
stones, I could not help thinking that they had formerly 
formed a part of two North Houses. 
“ The mound at the edge of the cliff afforded so favourable 
an opportunity for examination, that, having obtained permis- 
sion from Lord Gormanstown, on whose estate it was situate, 
we proceeded to dig it away. It was composed of small 
round stones, or shingle, from the shore. Our work was soon 
interrupted by buge stones, similar to those on the shore, and 
which appeared placed in a circle, buried in sand and shingle, 
around, but at some distance from the centre of the mound. 
Within this outer circle of stones we found, on what appeared 
to have been a floor of beaten clay, alarge quantity of burned 
human bones, apparently of persons of different ages: we 
found amongst them the bones of very young children. In 
the centre of this circle there was a chamber constructed of 
immense flags, some of them more than six feet in height ; 
and within this a rude stone basin, or rather a large stone of 
sandstone grit, with a cavity or hollow formed in it. This 
stone bore evident marks of fire; and around it, on all sides, 
were remains of charcoal or burned wood, and a quantity of 
burned human bones. Amongst these bones we found some 
beads, made of polished stone, in shape conical, with a hole 
through each, near the apex of the cone. 
