THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 155 



party contends the former were used as boundary stones in the same 

 way as the milestones we find on our ordinary roads still The other 

 asserts that the early annalists in many instances allude to them as 

 marking the burial place of a champion. It seems to me the trans- 

 lation of two distinct manuscripts by Dr. Petrie, in his work on the 

 round towers, ought to be deemed sufficiently conclusive on the 

 point. See the following extracts : — 



" The pillar stone of Buide, the son of Muiredh, where his head 

 lies." 



And in describing the death of Fothadh, slain at OUarba, fought 

 A. D. 285, "There is a pillar stone at his cairn and an ogham is on 

 the end which is in the earth." 



A mortuary urn, containing bones and ashes, was found at 

 the foot of a block of stone erect, in the County Antrim, not many 

 years ago. With respect to the pierced pillars we know it was an 

 eastern custom to set up memorial stones by various ancient races. 



Danish Raths. — Scattered all over Ireland, met with everywhere, 

 are the circular earthen entrenchment?, ignorantly attributed to the 

 " Ostmen," and known as Danish raths. They are usually surround- 

 ed by a deep fosse, or trench, partly filled in sometimes. Doubtless 

 they were further strengthened by a palisade, for I recollect finding 

 in one of the ditches a pointed stake ; it owed its preservation to the 

 boggy soil in which it was imbedded. 



Old men who had a vivid recollection of the insurrection of '98, 

 informed me " the raths " were formerly more numerous, and that 

 numbers had been levelled by the gentlemen and farmers about. 



Many of them evidently are of great antiquity, " Rathcroghan," 

 for instance, where the Connaught kings were inaugurated. The 

 houses, huts or dweUing places were formed of timber or wicker-work 

 plastered with clay, and covered with reeds or rushes — of course, 

 such perishable material would quickly disappear. Some of the 

 churches were built of timber, " more Scottorum," according to Bede, 



When we reflect that wolves were very numerous until compari- 

 tively recent times in Ireland, that we were not always so much given 

 to peaceful pursuits, as in our own day, that there may be even a 

 slight foundation for accusing us of " cattle-lifting " occasionally, you 

 may see the absolute necessity of our forefathers taking the precau- 

 tion of erecting such places of refuge. 



I opened a rath not far from Carrig-Cleena, in the County Cork, 



