RELICS OF IRISH ART 115 



strength, though the animals of this particular 

 breed never became famous for their speed. 



Indeed the chief victories won by the Persians 

 in their terrific encounters with the Turks in the 

 fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were due in a 

 great measure to the superior size and strength 

 of the Persian war horses, though, of course, the 

 fact that the Turks had only their shields with 

 which to protect themselves must have helped 

 the Persians materially. 



Perhaps some of the most interesting and 

 accurate representations of the horses of about 

 this period are those to be found in parts of 

 Ireland among the remains of Irish art. These 

 remains, rather let us call them relics, are almost 

 matchless, and they represent horses driven in 

 chariots, and some mounted by riders. 



Thus three horsemen in addition to two 

 chariots with horses harnessed are to be seen on 

 the two panels of the plinth of the historic North 

 Cross at Clonmacnoise in King's County. The 

 wheels of these chariots have eight spokes, and 

 the relic is believed by the foremost of our 

 antiquaries to date back to the tenth century. 



A panel almost similar, dating back approxi- 

 mately to the same period, is to be seen on an 

 upright cross in a street in the town of Kells, 

 in County Meath, and on this cross not only are 

 horsemen shown, but in addition a hunting scene 

 is clearly depicted. 



