179 



immediate neighbourhood a '* holy well," named Toherchrist. 

 Both these places have been hastily presumed to be Pagan 

 cemeteries. 



It appears scarcely accidental that in four instances groups 

 of Ogham stones, seven in number, should have been disco- 

 vered together. It is not improbable that these were the 

 grave-stones of monks, whom we know to have been in the 

 habit of living together in companies of seven. 



The chief objection raised by those who assert the Pagan 

 character of the Ogham monuments, rests on the discovery of 

 so many of them in the interior of raths. That this objection 

 should have any weight it must be assumed that the rath was 

 a structure confined to the Pagan times, and emploj^ed by 

 Pagans only. So far, however, is this from being true, that 

 we have on record abundant proofs that rath-building was in 

 use amongst the Christian inhabitants of Ireland from the time 

 of St. Patrick down to the middle of the thirteenth century. 

 Churches were built in raths, and raths round churches, no 

 doubt for the purpose of securing protection for the persons 

 and property of ecclesiastical establishments in unsettled times. 



Mr. Graves stated that in prosecuting these researches he 

 had received most valuable aid from Mr. Richard Hitchcock, 

 a young gentleman who has devoted much of his time and 

 energies to the search after Ogham inscriptions. Mr. Hitchcock 

 has furnished him with no less than eighty-five sketches made 

 from the monuments, and executed with the most scrupulous 

 accuracy. Access to the collection of Oghams preserved in 

 the museum of the Cork Institution was procured for Mr. 

 Hitchcock by Mr. John Windele, of that city, to whom, on 

 that account, and also for his kindness in communicating in- 

 formation respecting the locality of Ogham monuments said 

 to exist in different parts of Ireland, Mr, Graves acknowledged 

 himself much indebted. He availed himself of the same 

 opportunity to express his regret that Mr. Windele, who 

 had exhibited so much zeal and diligence in the discovery of 



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