Ferguson — On Ancient Cemeteries in Ireland. 



125 



grooves cut vertically down the sides of the pillar. The stones bearing 

 the corresponding grooves are gone ; but this remaining pillar is deeply 

 cut at both sides ; and although very much weather-worn and disin- 

 tegrated, it seems to have borne Ogham characters, but now too much 

 worn to be at all legible. 



Grooved stone doorpost at entrance to tomb, Killeen Cormaic. 



If this be part of the original substruction, we should be con- 

 fronted here with much the same form of question as arises on the 

 J/e^inscription aiRelig-na-ree — Is this pre-Christian alphabetic writ- 

 ing, remaining on a Pagan monument ? or is it a Christian inscription, 

 proclaiming the recent origin of works erroneously thought to be Pagan ? 

 It is just possible to evade the question by considering that the eleva- 

 tion at which the pillar stands raises it above the test- level : but one 

 cannot but look forward to discoveries which must bring us face to 

 face with it, in future investigation ; and, certainly, in the existing 

 state of our knowledge, this feature of Killeen Cormaic must be taken as 

 carrying the practice of alphabetic writing, and, at least the primd facie 

 appearances of Christianity, very deeply into a monument seemingly 

 allied in character and general design with such cemeteries as Cloghan- 

 more, Usnach, and Relig-na-ree. 





