164 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
XX XI.—On true Bett rrom Loven LENE In THE AcapEemy’s Musrum. 
By Witi1am Bartow Suytue, M.A., M.R.I.A. (With Plate XII.) 
[Read, May 22, 1882.] 
Loven Lever is a fair sheet of water in the County Westmeath, 
extending about three miles from east to west, and about one mile 
from north to south. There are two wooded islands in the middle, 
which are my property: the larger, above an acre in extent, is called 
Turgesius’ Island; the smaller, about half the size, and covered with 
ivied stones, probably the ruins of a house of retreat connected with | 
the monastery of Fore, is called Nuns’ Island. South-west of it lies 
a very small island, called The Castle, containing many stones, now 
forming a blind to watch from for wild ducks, and under one of 
which, last summer, a boy in search of eels came upon the beautiful 
bell which forms the subject of this Paper. Having a companion 
near, with whom he did not wish to share the treasure, he covered it 
up again, and returned alone for the spoil, which he appropriated, 
and after exhibiting it to his neighbours, as I have been told, he 
fortunately sold it to the Academy. 
The site of its discovery is reported by tradition to have been that 
of a castle, to which Turgesius betook himself at night for security, 
passing his day on what is called Turgesius’ Fort, a bold bluff about 
a mile and a-half to the west, commanding the modern road from 
Collinstown to Castlepollard. 
Tradition gives Turgesius the worst possible private character, 
and an end similar to that narrated in some other prehistoric stories, 
viz. that wishing to marry the Christian daughter of O’Melaghlin, 
King of Meath, by whom he was long refused as a heathen, he at 
length terrified them into an arrangement, allowing her and fifteen 
ladies of her suite to meet him and fifteen unarmed attendants upon a 
small island in a small lake in Meath, of which Westmeath was then 
a part; but her ladies were youths, who slew Turgesius’ followers, 
and took himself prisoner. He was said by some to have been 
drowned in Lough Uair, now Lough Uail (Lough Owel), near Mul- 
lingar ; by others in Lough Annagh. Neither is many miles distant 
from Lough Lene. 
Sir H. Piers, writing above two centuries ago, describes Lough 
Lene as separated from Fore town by fine rising arable ground, ‘‘into 
which, by a narrow and short channel, the lake sends a rivulet, which 
falleth into the bowels of the hill, and issueth on the other side 
thereof, in the town, and turneth an overshaft mill.” Sir H. Piers 
tells of the multitude of small trout on the lake side of the stream, 
and of the ‘‘vain endeavour of one of his company to catch them in 
his boot, which could only fill with water and his companions with 
laughter.” The rivulet, he says, runs on to Lough Glore and to the 
