Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 335 



LIV. — Some Remarks on the Antiquities of Knockninny, Co. 

 Fermanagh. By W. F. "Wakeman. 



[Eead 8th of May, 1876.] 



The picturesque eminence of Knockninny, rising from the southern 

 shore of Upper Lough Erne, at a distance of about 10 miles from 

 Enniskillen, seems to have derived its name from some connexion 

 with St. Ninnidh, a famous bishop who flourished contemporaneously 

 with St. Columba, and whose principal establishment was on Inis- 

 macsaint (anciently Inis-muighe-samh, or, as translated by Joyce — 

 " the island of the plain of the sorrel,") lying in Lower Lough Erne 

 about 9 miles below Enniskillen. 



The hill gives its name to the barony in which it is situate, but 

 the district presents no ancient church site, cross, or " station," and a 

 beautiful ever-flowing well, situate upon the shore of the lake, does 

 not appear to have been associated with the name of Mnnidh, or 

 indeed with that of any other saint. 



Mnnidh may possibly have utilized this grassy "knock" for grazing 

 or agricultural purposes. The Erne river and lake was an easy, and in 

 peaceful times a safe, highway for curach, cot, or even ship ; and we 

 know that in early days it was not uncommon for important monastic 

 establishments, like that of Inismacsaint, to be endowed with lands and 

 possessions lying at a considerable distance from the mother church. 

 Be this as it may, we shall look, and look in vain, for the original 

 name of a site which, from remains still to be seen upon its summit 

 and slopes, there is every reason to believe must have been in pre- 

 Christian times of no little account amongst the primitive tribes of 

 the district. We find here, within a limited compass, three distinct 

 modes of pagan sepulture, as exemplified in earns, megalithic monu- 

 ments, and cave, all of which may be respectively considered fine 

 illustrations of their class. 



Antiquities found in Knockninny Cave. 



Having been personally allowed by Lord Erne (the owner of that 

 portion of Knockninny upon which the earns, already referred to, stand, 

 and in which the remarkable cavern which has been described by Mr. 

 Plunkett is found), to make any explorations which might be deemed ne- 

 cessary, I proceeded to the hill in company with Mr. Plunkett, to whom, 

 as colleague, I resigned the work at the cave, contenting myself with an 

 examination of the " giants' graves," &c. Mr. Plunkett entered upon 

 his task with great energy, and the success in an antiquarian point of 

 view has been very considerable. It was not unusual with the pagan 

 Irish to be buried within the bounds of structures which they had oc- 

 cupied when living, but here I believe is the first instance on record (in 

 this country at least) of sepulchral urns having been found in a 

 natural cave which had been used by man as a dwelling. For a de- 



