254 
by a quaint and unintelligible ornament, which may be likened to a 
crown. 
The next two illustrations are from a field near Ventry Coast-guard 
Station, townland of Carrickadownig. The east face of this upright slab 
is ornamented at the top by a singular device, brought out by lowering 
the surface of the stone around it. I am at a loss to describe it; but if 
it be looked at fixedly for a short time, it gradually assumes the shadows 
of a death-like mask, the mouth of which is concealed. Below this is 
engraved a slender cross, the top and base of the shaft being slightly 
bulged, so as to Aint at the early form of this emblem. The west face 
of this stone bears also a very quaint cross, the transverse arms being 
very short, and ending in two deep cup-shaped hollows. 
The illustration No. 10 is from a small headstone close to the remains 
_ of an old church near Ballyferriter. Both sides of the stone are orna- 
mented with crosses of the type of the preceding. 
Fig. 11. Cross, from the old church of the little village of Fahan, 
Ventry, county of Kerry. 
Fig. 12. This resembles a headstone for a grave, and is ornamented 
with a device unlike anything I have seen elsewhere ; it may be likened 
to the letter T turned upside down. 
The two sketches, Nos. 12 and 13, represent a small, upright 
stone, from the graveyard of the old church of Kilmalkedan. Its shape 
is quite unique, resembling somewhat a clumsy stem and stern-post of 
a boat; but its style of ornamentation, clearly Greco-Irish, we may assign 
it to a period between the ninth and twelfth centuries. 
Fig. 14. The next illustration represents the lofty but rude cross 
from the same graveyard; and when we contrast it with that from the 
graveyard of Castlegregory old church, county of Kerry, Fig. 15, we 
will be struck by their similarity. I have little doubt but that these 
crosses may be of the tenth century. 
GienDAaLoucH, Co. Wicktow.—21 SKETcHEs. 
I beg now to direct your attention to the series of twenty-one sketches 
illustrative of the crosses and tombstones at Glendalough, in the county 
of Wicklow ; and I believe that these include all the principal relics of 
this class now remaining at that celebrated locality. 
When we enter the ancient gateway which leads to the long passage 
conducting to the graveyard of the so-called cathedral, we shall find, 
close to the gateway, and on the right of the passage, a large slab of 
mica slate set upright in the wall. It bears a rudely incised eross of 
the Greco-Irish type. 
From the position of this slab, it is clearly not a tombstone, and my 
belief is, that it is the consecration or chrism cross of the graveyard. 
The Rev. Dr. Reeves has kindly informed me that a graveyard is not 
considered consecrated till a person has been buried in it. This cross 
is, therefore, possibly commemorative of that event, or the first burial, 
and is therefore a relic of no ordinary interest. Without doubt it is re- 
ferable to the age of St. Kevin, who died in the year 616. 
