Patterson — On some Ancient Sepulchral Slabs. 275 



Abbey, in tbe Ards, about two miles distant, an abbey founded by 

 de Courcy about 1180, but of which all trace has disappeared. 



At Ballymaghan, in the parish of Holywood, two slabs with 

 floriated crosses of eight points sculptured in relief have been found. 

 One of these slabs bears the " shears," and the other a sword. The 

 gardens of the " Moat House" now occupy the site of the ancient 

 cemetery of the church of Ballymaghan ; one of these slabs is now in 

 the Belfast Museum. 



In the church-yard of Saul (Sabhall), near Downpatrick, are two 

 slabs with plain incised crosses of very early character. Figs. 5 and 6. 



There is also an ornamental tapered slab built into the wall at 

 the entrance to the church-yard. Something resembling a key is 

 sculptured beside the shaft of the cross, and on this account the slab 

 is called by the people of the neighbourhood, " The Key Stone." 



The key is considered to be, like the " shears," a feminine emblem 

 when it occurs on monumental slabs, and there is ample evidence from 

 English examples to bear out this view. 



In the old burying ground close to Killyleigh Castle, County 

 Down, there is a small and very curiously shaped slab, Fig. 7, bearing 

 a cross within a circle, of early Irish type. This little slab, which 

 measures only one foot ten inches in length, is different both in shape 

 and design from anything that I have seen. 



A slab with an Irish incised cross, but no inscription, Fig. 8, is at 

 Mahee Island (Inis Mochaoi), the ancient Nendrum, in Strangford 

 Lough. It was doubtless originally at the site of the church and 

 round tower there, but is now in possession of a farmer who lives 

 close by. 



A slab measuring eighteen by thirteen inches, and with a cross of 

 a very beautiful and uncommon design (Fig. 12), is built into the wall 

 of the Boman Catholic church at Dunsford, near Ardglass, County 

 Down. It was brought here in 1791, from the ancient ruins of 

 Ardtole Church, by the Bev. Mr. Mulholland, B.B. 



At Dunsford parish church-yard there is a large Anglo-Norman 

 cross slab, with sword. There is also a portion of a slab of this kind 

 at Ballynoe, parish of Bright. 



At Maghera church-yard, near Newcastle, County Down, there- is 

 the lower half of a long cross slab. There are, besides, two very curious 

 early slabs, one with a human figure rudely sculptured on it. 



The slabs, Figs. 9, 10 and 11, are in the cemetery which surround 

 the parish church of Glen Columbkille, County Donegal. The two 

 larger ones are of beautiful design, and of undoubtedly Celtic type. 



There are also early Irish slabs at Killaghtee church-yard, near 

 Bruckless, County Donegal, and at "the relig," a penitential altar, 

 sacred to St. Conall, in the same parish. 



In the County of Antrim but few early sepulchral slabs have been 

 noticed. The Anglo-Normans got a very slight footing in this county. 

 At Carrickfergus a large coffin-shaped slab was lately found, with a 

 crozier sculptured on it in relief. 



