110 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



nch,* and dated August 15th, 1841. After having described a curious 

 little cell or church, which stood about a quarter of a mile from the town 

 of Cahirciveen, and called by some Killavarnoge, by others, Killavar- 

 naun, in Irish written Cill d beapndin ; the writer alludes to the 

 circumstance, that this diminutive structure was built of long flags of 

 green stone, and without the use of cement, like the " bee-hive "- 

 shaped houses at Kilmalkedar, near the remote extremity of Dingle 

 promontory. He then tells us, that on Church Island, belonging to 

 the parish of Caher, there was a cell of nearly similar construction. 



Square fort-like building on Church Island, Valentia, Co. Kerry. 



From east to west it measured on the inside 19 feet in length, and on 

 the north and south it was 10 feet 6 inches in width. Its side walls 

 were 6 feet in height, 5 feet in thickness, and built of long flags of 

 green stone, without any kind of cement having been used. To the 

 height of 2 feet from the ground-level, and on the outside, the walls 

 are 6 feet 4 inches in thickness ; but from that to the top they are 

 only 5 feet, as already observed. The west gable was destroyed. With 

 exception of a small opening or doorway- — if it can be so called — and 

 which only measures 2 feet 1 inch in height, while at bottom it is 1 

 foot 10 inches in width, diminishing to 1 foot 1 inch at top, there was 

 no other opening then observable. 



To the north-east of this small cell, at a distance of 9 feet, there 



* From Cahirciveen, in Ui Eathach. Thus rendered by J. O'Beirne Crowe, 

 Esq. The latter denomiration signifies "the descendants of Eathach," and accord- 

 ing to Miss M. F. Casack, this was the original tribe name of the O'Sheas, who 

 formerly possessed this territory. See "A History of the Kingdom of Kerry," 

 chap, xvii., pp. 367, 368. See, likewise, " The Topographical Poems of John 

 O'Dubhagain and Giolla na-Naomh O'Huidhtin." Edited by John O'Donovan, 

 LL.D., pp. lxviii., lxix., and nn. 594, 599. 



