ANTIQUITIES. 



recent as the fifteenth century, it is pro- 

 bable that many of the Scotish obelisks 

 are far more modern than is generally 

 imagined. 



We are next to consider the antiquities 

 of Ireland. The original population of 

 this country passed from Gaul, and was 

 afterwards increased by their brethren the 

 Guydil from England. About the time 

 that the Belgae seized on the south of 

 England, it appears that kindred Gothic 

 tribes passed to the south of Ireland. 

 These are the Firbolg of the Irish tradi- 

 tions, and appear to have been the same 

 people whom the Romans denominated 

 Scoti, after they had emerged to their no- 

 tice, by not only extending their conquest 

 to the north and east in Ireland, but had 

 begun to make maritime excursions 

 against the Roman provinces in Britain. 

 But Ireland had been so much crowded 

 with Celtic tribes, expelled from the con- 

 tinent and Britain, by the progress of the 

 German Goths, that the Belga; almost lost 

 their native speech and distinct character; 

 and from intermarriages, &c. became lit- 

 tle distinguishable from the original po- 

 pulation, except by superior ferocity, for 

 which the Scoti, or those who affected a 

 descent from the Gothic colonies, were 

 remarkable, while the original Gael seem 

 to have been an innocent and harmless 

 people. The epochs in Ireland, to which 

 its antiquities are referrible, are the fol- 

 lowing: 1. The first historical epoch of Ire- 

 land is its original population by the Celtic 

 Gauls, and the subsequent colonization by 

 the Belgae. 2. The maritime excursions of 

 the Scoti against the Roman provinces in 

 Britain. 3. The conversion of Ireland to 

 Christianity in the fifth century, which was 

 followed by a singular effect; for while the 

 mass of the people retained all the ferocity 

 of savage manners, the monasteries pro- 

 duced many men of such piety and learn- 

 ing, that Scoti a or Ireland became celebra- 

 ted all over Christendom. 4. This lustre 

 was diminished by the ravages of the Scan- 

 dinavians, which began with the ninth cen- 

 tury, and can hardly be said to have ceas- 

 ed when the English settlement commen- 

 ced. The island had been split into nume- 

 rous principalities, or kingdoms, as they 

 were styled ; and though a chief monarch 

 was acknowledged, yet his power was sel- 

 dom efficient, and the constant dissensions 

 of o many small tribes rendered ihe 

 island an easy prey. 5. In the year 1170, 

 Henry II. permitted Richard Strongbow, 

 earl of Pembroke, to effect a settlement 

 in Ireland, which laid the foundation of 

 the English possessions in that country. 



There are however coins of Canute, king 

 of England, struck at Dublin, perhaps in 

 acknowledgment of his power, by the 

 Danish settlers. After this period Ireland 

 became, in some measure, a commercial 

 country, and her history is to be looked 

 for in that of England, with which it is 

 interwoven. Upon a review of the more 

 ancient of these historical epochs, and of 

 the monuments which may be considered 

 as belonging to each, it must be consider- 

 ed, that the edifices having been construct- 

 ed of wood till the eleventh or twelfth 

 century, it cannot be expected that any 

 remains of them should exist. Stone was 

 chiefly employed in the construction of 

 funeral erections of various kinds ; nor 

 are barrows wanting in Ireland, being hil- 

 locks of earth thrown up in commemora- 

 tion of the illustrious dead. Other mo- 

 numents, commonly styled Druidic, may 

 also be found in Ireland ; such as single 

 stones erect, circular temples, or rather 

 places of judgment, and the like, which 

 may more properly be ascribed to the 

 Belgic colony. The conversion of Ire- 

 land to Christianity was followed by the 

 erection of a vast number of churches 

 and monasteries, the latter being comput- 

 ed to exceed one thousand in number ; 

 but all these edifices were originally small, 

 and constructed of interwoven withs, or 

 hewn wood; for St. Bernard, in the 

 twelfth century, mentions a stone church 

 as a singular novelty in Ireland. But the 

 Scandinavian chiefs must before this pe- 

 riod have introduced the use of stone into 

 the castles, necessary for their own de- 

 fence against a nation whom they op- 

 pressed; and sometimes even subterra- 

 neous retreats were deemed expedient, 

 of which Ware and others have engraved 

 specimens. To the Scandinavian period 

 also belong what are called the Danes 

 Raths. or circular intrenchments ; and 

 some chapels, such as those of Glenda- 

 loch, Portaferry, Killaloe, Saul Abbey, St. 

 Doulach, and Cashel, if we may judge 

 from the singularity of the ornaments, 

 which, however, only afford vague conjec- 

 ture. But of the round castles, called Duns 

 in Scotland, and of the obelisks engraven 

 with figures or ornaments, few or none 

 exist in Ireland. Under the Scandinavi- 

 ans the Irish coinage first dawns. Of the 

 eleventh and twelfth centuries many mo- 

 numents, castellated or religious, may 

 probably exist in Ireland. Brian Boro, 

 king of Munster, having been declared 

 sovereign of Ireland in the year 1002, he 

 distinguished himself by his virtues and 

 courage; and Dermid III. A, D. 1041 



