A^itiqnitics. 265 



of them bearing an inscription in the Irish character — " Ordo 

 Detrend" — i.e., "a prayer for Detrend," who was possibly 

 an abbot of Movilla about the end of the tenth century. 

 This fine collection has been erected against the north wall 

 of the church for preservation. These Norman stones are 

 without inscriptions, but emblems are frequent and sug- 

 gestive, such as leaves on the stem of the cross, as it 

 constituted the tree of life, a chalice or pastoral staff to 

 denote an ecclesiastic, a sword for a knight, and an old time 

 shears or scissors to denote a woman, or, as some say, a 

 yeoman or shearer. There are several fine cross slabs of 

 Norman origin now well conserved in the Abbey Church 

 of Bangor. 



Greyabbey, in the county of Down, contains two fine 

 slabs, one bearing the recumbent effigy of Sir John de 

 Courci, a cross-legged warrior of the thirteenth century, 

 while the other bears the effigy of his wife, the Lady Affreca, 

 the foundress of the abbey. 



Examples of cross-inscribed stones can also be seen at 

 Dundonald, Holywood, Maghera (Co. Down), Belfast 

 Museum, Inishargie, Bangor, Kilroot, Carrickfergus, etc. 

 Most of these have been illustrated in the Ulster Journal of 

 ArchcBology. 



W. J. F. 



Ancient Churches. 



The churches of the united dioceses of Down and Connor 

 and Dromore should be classed under the heads of pre- and 

 post-Reformation, and the mind of the antiquary will 

 naturally turn to the former, although the latter have also 

 an interest of their own. Amongst the first, the more 

 important churches left to us are the cathedral church of 

 Downpatrick, and the church of St. Nicholas at Carrick- 

 fergus, both within easy reach of Belfast. 



T/ie Church at Downpatrick is the cathedral of the diocese 

 of Down, and is large, heavy, and, from an architectural 

 point of view, not very interesting ; but the old foliated 

 capitals of the pillars are good and refined pieces of sculpture. 

 The church was restored from ruin about 1790, and the 

 result is what might be expected from a time when church 



