Ferguson — Evidences on Sun-worship at Mount Callan. 269 



praying on the bed of the patron saint. This patron pnt an end to 

 the mass-meetings on Buaile na Greine. 



" The patron of St. Muchan's was subsequently removed to Leacht 

 ui Chonchobair, now Lahinch, where the tribe of 0' Conor of Corcom- 

 roe were in the habit of meeting to celebrate the Oenach Guba, or 

 mourning assembly (fair) of their chieftain 0' Conor, king of "Western 

 Corcomroe, who was buried in that place, and whose Leacht (monu- 

 mental pile) gave the name Leacht ui Chonchobair to this place. This 

 Leacht has now disappeared, and its place is occupied by the Victoria 

 Hotel, at Lahinch, and I question if there are many who can tell 

 much of its histoiy, and nothing now remains to commemorate the 

 last of the 0' Conors, kings of "Western Corcomroe, but the -word Leacht, 

 the present contracted form of Leacht ui Choncobair, or Lahinch. 



" Thus I have collected the traditional history of the ancient 

 assemblies of Buaile na Greine, showing how it has existed perhaps 

 from a time even anterior to Conan Mael down to the present day, and 

 how it still survives, probably in greater multitudes, and more true to the 

 characteristics of an ancient Oenach or Tochomrac Tuatha than it was 

 since the system of territorial and tribe government, under the ancient 

 Brehon Laws, ceased to give a political importance to those assemblages, 

 of which I have no doubt the Oenach of Buaile na Greine was one." 



Desiring a more definite statement as to Altoir na Greine itself, I 

 ventured to request Mr. O'Looney to add to the favour he had already 

 done me in the above communication, by giving me a distinct written 

 description of its site, construction, and uses, and stating what had be- 

 come of it. He again had the kindness to comply with my desire, and 

 on this occasion without any collateral matter, in the remarkable state- 

 ment which I here subjoin : — 



" I saw Altoir na Greine in 1844-5. The altar was a rude struc- 

 ture, much in the form of a large bin or chest, but empty underneath. 

 The altar part was composed of seven large grey flags : four upright 

 flags standing in the ground, two at either end, about four feet apart, 

 .and one great flag resting down upon them, and two upright flags 

 standing in the ground behind them, on the western side, and rising 

 about two feet or eighteen inches above the table-stone of the altar. 



" There were some stones of various shapes and sizes around it, at the 

 back, and at the ends, and an elevation or mound of clay and small 

 stones, frits position was south-west from Leaba Chonain. You 

 looked south-west across the lake to Crag na Sean Ean. 



"In the year 1859 I met a poor man who had fixed a temporary 

 residence near this part of the mountain. I could give his name, but 

 it would give offence to his friends to do so. He told me he made a 

 cabbage garden in this locality ; and, as stones were scarce to fence it, 

 he broke up the whole altar structure, and split the large rocks and 

 flags with his crowbar, to make a fence for his garden. I was at his 

 funeral soon after. The stones were subsequently removed, and 



