AN INSCRIPTION on an ancient fepulchral Stone or Monument in the 

 Church-yard of KILLCUMMIN, near KILLALLA, in the County of 

 Mayo; with fome~ Remarks on the fame. By the Rev. JAMES 

 LITTLE.— /?mi jMKff 31/?, 1802. 



PERSUASION of the antiquity of this monument, and of its afFord- 

 ing feme evidence as to the progrefs of the arts in this kingdom in the 

 middle ages, induced me to m^ke a draught of the ftone, and of the 

 charafters infcribed on it ; as ia the annexed fcheme : which is as faith- 

 fully delineated, as could well be done by a perfon unikilled in the 

 art of drawing, and not having the help of a pantograph for that pur- 

 pofe. The characters on it are, however, reprefented, as to their re- 

 lative fize, fliape, and pofition, with an accuracy fully fufficient for their 

 being underflood and decyphered ; becaufe, from the hardnefs and dura- 

 bility of the flone, (which is a grit or freeftonej, on which they are 

 largely and judicioufly engraved, fulcated or en creux, as it is called, 

 they remain now as diftinft and legible as they ever were. 



The ftone is reputed among the country people in the neighbour- 

 hood, to be of au antiquity reaching beyond any oral tradition, farther 

 than its being the monument of Saint Commyn, from vdiom they fup- 

 pofe the church and parifh to be denominated, and who was there in- 

 terred ; and as fuch it is by them regarded with peculiar veneration. 



Though I leave to others the talk of explaining the infcription, for 

 -which few perfons are lefs qualified than I am, I muft yet beg leave 



A 2 to 



