Ferguson — On the Calkin Ogham Inscription. 169 



line and in the cartouche, and partly to have heen rubhed out, as in 

 some of the digits. They appear ancient ; hut it seems to me that 

 the system of writing to which they belong is not that anciently in 

 use for lapidary work in Ireland ; and I would assign them to a period 

 within the same limits of age as our manuscript writings. 



If thej* be in Irish (as I suppose they are) these characters express a 

 sepulchral formula of no great antiquity. If one had to select between the 

 third and the thirteenth century for an epitaph beginning sub hoc lapide, 

 the later date would, I dare say, be the one selected. It cannot be doubted 

 that Conaf is a source of immense difficulty in the way of those who 

 would seek here the name of an Ossianic hero. The statements made 

 to Professor O'Looney, which he will now detail, tend to show that 

 the interment was mediaeval, owing to the presence of objects in iron. 

 See p. 171. But, — is it impossible that arms in iron should exist in a 

 sepulchre of that age ? The name Conaf might perhaps read Conalb and — 

 resembling Irish forms of mediaeval names ending in ulf, as lllulb = 

 Indulf — be capable ofbeing turned to Conanva. the popular pronunciation. 



Whatever be the result of these conjectures, and whatever shall be the 

 ultimate judgment of men of learning on the question of the authorship 

 of the verses cited by O'Flanagan, on which, though much persuaded 

 to suspicion, I offer no definite opinion, I shall be well satisfied if the 

 result of my own endeavours to get at the truth has been to relieve the 

 memories of men who cannot now be heard in their own defence from 

 the imputation of having fabricated the Mount Callan lapidary inscrip- 

 tion, with a view to projected literary imposture. 



Pbofessok O'Looney' s Statement. 



" In the summer of 1844 I visited Leala Chonain, i. e. the Bed of 

 Conan, on Mount Callan in the County of Clare, and examined the 

 Ogham-inscribed stone called Leac Chonain, i. e. Conan's Flag, which 

 then covered it. This great Leac occupied a prominent place on the South- 

 eastern slope of that part of Mount Callan called Tulach na Feinne, or 

 hill of the Feinne or Fians, overhanging Loch Buaile na Grei?ie, — i. e. the 

 lake of the lawn of the sun, — where it rested in a half reclining position 

 over a pile of rough unhewn stones, perhaps the remains of a Leacht or 

 monumental pile, about 18 inches high at the head end, and not more 

 than 10 inches high at foot ; and over this Leacht rested Leac Chonain, 

 Conan's Flag, with its Ogham legend, looking to the south-east over 

 Buaile na Greinne. 



" The Leac was eleven feet long, three feet wide, and one foot thick. 

 The inscription consists of one line of what is called Ogam C'hraebh, and 

 runs along, nearly from end to end, on the middle of the upper face of 

 the stone, and ends abruptly, and I believe imperfectly ; a corner being 

 lost from the stone, which appears to have been broken off at a very re- 

 mote period. I copied the Ogham and made notes of the peculiar 

 character of some of the lines as they then appeared to me. My 

 reading of it runs thus : — 



