130 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



In this point of view (assuming for the argument's sake that the 

 Ogham legends themselves cast no light on the question), the age of 

 the rath caves would he assigned to some time after the Christian era, 

 and the age of the inscriptions remitted to some indefinite earlier 

 period. 



But this argument is not supported hy what we know of the 

 habits of the people generally, in regard to the sepulchral monuments 

 of their forefathers ; and it leaves out of account the motive to 

 intentional defacement supplied hy early religious differences, which 

 seem to offer a better explanation of the quasi sacred, yet non- consecrate 

 character of the Jcilleens. The general proximity to the Icilleen of these 

 caves, and even of the churches into which stones bearing Ogham 

 inscriptions are found built, has been noticed and well established in 

 several papers by Mr. Brash. Another suggestion, as to a supposed 

 practice of evidencing title to the land by inscribing the name of the 

 owner in the interior of the rath-dwelling, has been made on the 

 authority of a passage in the Brehon Law. This passage has not yet 

 been published ; but, when it appears, it will deserve the gravest consi- 

 deration. As regards the general character of these monuments, Colonel 

 A. Lane Fox, F. B. S., in his paper on the Boovesmore Oghams, has 

 condensed his observations on those in the province of Munster, of 

 which he computes there were about 10,000 at the date of the 

 Ordnance Survey, in the following clear and exact account : — 



" In speaking of these works as forts, I have only adopted the 

 term in general use for them by the country people. But it is not by 

 any means certain that the whole of them were constructed as de- 

 fensive works That they were inhabited, appears to be 



satisfactorily proved by the remains of but circles that were found in 

 some of them ; by their being almost invariably found in close 

 proximity to a good spring ; and by their being usually located in the 



This interesting remain of ancient Ireland was discovered in 1838, by the workmen of 

 Daniel Mahony, Esq., of Dunloe Castle. In constructing a small fence in one of the 

 fields of the demesne, they broke into a subterranean chamber, of a curved form, which 

 proved to be the termination of a gallery. The sides of the cave are constructed of 

 rude stones, without any kind of cement, and the roof is formed of long stones laid 

 horizontally ; an upright pillar extends from the centre of the floor of the cave to 

 the roof, and is evidently designed to support it. This pillar stone is inscribed with 

 Ogham characters, as are four of these M'hich form the roof, in such a manner as to 

 impress the conviction that they had been inscribed before they were placed in their 

 present position. In the passages were found several human skulls and bones, 

 which clearly [?] indicated the sepulchral character of the monument. . . . The 

 Author of this Grammar examined this cave in the year 1841, and can testify that 

 the inscriptions are not fabrications ; but whether the monument be Pagan or early 

 Christian, he will not take upon him to decide." The legend on the supporting 

 stone is Cunocena, corresponding to the Cunacena of the Trallong "bilingual." At 

 first it was essayed to be read in the wrong direction, and yielded only the un- 

 intelligible form aqesoqus. Mr. Brash has noticed this interesting addition to the 

 numerous proofs of South Irish and South British connexion in early times. 



