38 
one time seemed to me to have been as one of those Ciboria, which 
the primitive Christians were in the habit of making in imitation 
of the Jewish tabernacle. However, upon more mature conside- 
ration, I relinquish that opinion for one that appears to be better 
founded, and now look upon it to have been a dome or cover of a 
Thurible. The kind of censer used amongst the Jews, we are in- 
formed, was a sort of chaffing-dish,* covered with a canopy, 
the use of which might have been borrowed from them by the early 
Christians. By supposing cavities to have been made in this chaf- 
fing-dish for admitting the pillars or feet of the Barnaan Cuilawn, 
so as to keep it firm, the remainder would completely bear out this 
conjecture. Thus the semicircular aperture at the base would ad- 
mit air to support combustion ; the strong iron lining was calcu- 
lated to withstand the effects of internal fire; and the holes in the 
top, to suffer the rarified air and smoke to escape. This conjecture 
as to the original use of the Barnaan Cuilawn, is rendered still more 
probable from the accommodating spirit of the early Missioners in- 
Ireland, who, in order to scandalize their new converts as little 
as possible, turned things connected with the pagan worship to an- 
swer the purposes of their own religion. ‘Thus, previous to the 
erection of churches, the Christian clergy used to asssemble with 
their congregations at the druidical upright stones, and in the drui- 
dical temples. In like manner the nuns at Kildare kept up the 
holy fire, which had been kindled there by Druidesses several ages 
before. The learned author of the Antiquities of Ireland, speak- 
ing of these ancient druidical fires, says, that they were kept from 
scattering by iron curbs,+ for which he gives the following autho- 
rity, viz. “ Ferro superne investite, &c. Woun. Barthol. 273”. It 
® Encyclopzdia Britannica. 
+ Ledwich’s Antig. 76, 7. 
