Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 289 



XLIV. — On Stones bearing Ogham Inscriptions discovered at 

 Monataggart, Co. Cork. — Extract from a letter addressed to 

 S. Ferguson, Esq., LL.D., V. P. R.I. A., by the Rev. J. Quarry, 

 D.D., Rector of Donoughmore, Co. Cork. 



[Read December 14, 1874.] 



Having visited Monataggart again since the incised stones found there 

 were forwarded to the Royal Irish Academy, I am now able to send 

 you, for the information of the Academy, as you have desired, an 

 exact account of the circumstances under which these stones were dis- 

 covered. 



"When you kindly informed me that an Ogham stone existed at 

 Mr. Cogan's farm, and was used by him as a gate-pillar, I went to see 

 it, and examined the place where Mr. Cogan had found it. The 

 appearance was then something similar to that of one of the small 

 lime-kilns abounding in this country, or such as one of these might 

 present if the masonry had been removed. There was a small 

 mound falling off at one side to lower ground, and having a sunk 

 aperture at the top. In this aperture there were two upright slabs of 

 stone set parallel to one another, on the tops of which, Mr. Cogan 

 told me, a large flat stone, which he showed me, had been laid. These 

 stones had made a chamber of about four ft. by two ft., the depth of 

 which I could not ascertain, as it was partly filled with loose earth. 

 Mr. Cogan also informed me that the incised stone which he had 

 removed for his gateway was laid horizontally along the edge of the 

 upper slab, and that he had found charred wood in the interior of this 

 chamber, and I think he said some bits of old crockery of a common 

 kind. I then begged of him that he would make further excavation 

 and let me know the residt, which he promised to do. 



Some days afterwards Mr. Cogan came to tell me that he had 

 excavated, as I requested, and had found two more incised stones 

 — the same which have since then been forwarded to the Academy 

 together with the gate-pillar, through my agency, at your desire. I 

 went to the spot on the same day, and found that he had dug in an 

 easterly direction from the former aperture until he reached a similar 

 chamber consisting of two upright slabs about four ft. apart, set 

 parallel to one another, and covered by a large flat stone resting on 

 the upright stones, the area being then about four ft. wide at the 

 entrance, and the horizontal depth from two to three ft. The vertical 

 depth was about four ft. when I saw it, but Mr. Cogan told me a 

 quantity of loose earth had fallen into it, but that when first opened 

 the depth was about six ft., as he was able to stand in it without 

 reaching the top. At the bottom of this chamber he found the flat 

 circular stone forwarded to the Acaademy, and under it a quantity of 



