Macalister — On Some Recently Discovered Ogham Inscriptions. 139 



of the angle are spalled away and no trace of writing remains. Following 

 this blank space there are doubtful traces of an I, but the last notch is- the 

 only certain member of the letter ; it is just 4 inches below the top of the 

 stone. The restoration above suggested is a mere guess on which nothing 

 can be built ; the inscription is, indeed, so mutilated as to be quite useless. 



The notes on which the foregoing description is founded were taken by 

 me in 1910. I first heard of the stone in 1907, from the Hon. Albinia 

 Brodrick, who kindly wrote to me informing me of its existence.. Being 

 abroad at the time, I was unable to visit it till the date above mentioned. 



II. Drummin, Co. Roscommon (Plate XV, 1). 



County Boscommon has so far yielded only two ogham monuments — the 

 well-known pair in the cave at Bathcroghan. The discovery of a third in the 

 same county is therefore an event of some importance. It was found by 

 Mr. Igoe, of the Ordnance Survey, and by him communicated to Dr. Douglas 

 Hyde, who, after examining it, and assuring himself that it was a genuine 

 ogham, informed me of the discovery. Being in the neighbourhood, I was 

 enabled to visit it without delay : Dr. E. C. QuiggiD, of Cambridge, who was 

 with me, checked the reading here given. 



The monument stands in a copse on the left-hand side of the road leading 

 from Belnagare to Bathcroghan, on land belonging to O'Conor Don and 

 occupied by Mr. Doyle, townland of Drummin, O.S., Boscommon, sheet 15, 

 middle of bottom. There are two stones evidently marking a grave, standing 

 5 feet 1 inch apart. The foot-stone, which is uninscribed, is 3 feet 1 inch 

 high, 1 foot 9 inches broad, and 9 inches thick at the base. The headstone is 

 30 degrees west of north from the first, is 3 feet 7 inches high, 1 foot 4 inches 

 broad, and 1 foot 8 inches thick. It bears the following inscription : — 



lllil " III ' rr_ 

 U N O V AT O 



The v is faint and the end is fractured ; there might be a few more vowel 

 notches lost, but the probability is that we have the whole inscription. The 

 name is very interesting. The second member is evidently a genitive of 

 vatis " a prophet " ; this seems to be a new element in Ogham names. 



The first member, with the vowel o (which is certain) has so far been 

 found in South Britain only : as in Ozmo-mori, Cuno-vali, Cuno-cenni. The 

 same or a similar element is also found in Ireland, but hitherto it has always 

 been spelt with a ; as Cuna-cena, Glasi-conas, Assi-cona, Cuna-netas, Cwna- 

 legea, Neta-cwiias, and, on the Isle of Man, Cuna-magli, 



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