288 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
assumed that the character se wasintended to represent rr. Inthe 
first plate of his own facsimiles of Ogam alphabets, made from 
the Book of Ballymote, he might have seen that it was used to 
denote P. 
Professor Rhys showed more sagacity. Knowing that in other 
bilingual inscriptions found in Wales the Ogam name corresponded 
with the one written in Roman letters, he correctly assumed that the 
symbol 9K appearing twice in the beginning of this Ogam inscrip- 
tion stood for p, holding the same places in Pompeius. His conjec- 
ture was in the highest degree probable, and, as I have just stated, it 
is confirmed by the evidence of the Book of Ballymote. Amongst 
the monogrammatic signs used in the Book of Ogams to represent 
syllables and words, we find this very symbol zy given for Pp, which 
had no single character originally assigned to it in Ogam. A double 
B, that is to say, an aspirated B, as we learn from the Uraicept, 
was used to denote this letter. From this, that is from Ty, it seems. 
probable that Ogam writers were led on to the use of se or 3K 3. 
and finally, the character == was made to perform a double duty, 
both as ea and py. Inthe Book of Ogams we find that the symbols 
of both ca and wi stand for p. 
Professor Rhys thinks that the Ogam inscription began with the 
letters POPE...... When I examined the monument I failed to. 
ascertain the existence of any other letters besides the two ps on this 
side of the stone. Between them I thought there was room for the. 
three strokes required to make the letters om. The Ogam inscription 
being nearly effaced, I can only regard the following letters as cer- 
tainly remaining. I have roughly indicated the length of the spaces 
between them. 
WIN PN a m0 — 1 lie 
Even with the help furnished by the Latin inscription, it would 
be mere guess-work to proceed further in an attempt to supply the 
missing characters beyond the restoration of the probable maga. 
I have elsewhere called attention to the testimony of Mr. Curtin, 
who states that things discreditable to the memories of distinguished 
persons were recorded by inscriptions in the Ogam character on 
their monuments. There might have been occasion for this in the 
case of St. Cairnech. He was the offspring of incest, and was 
answerable for the murder of his brother. These stains upon his re- 
putation are recorded by the writer, who nevertheless eulogises him 
as an exemplary bishop, concentrating in his person every ecclesias- 
tical perfection. 
[See, with reference to the elder Cearnach, the nephew of St. 
Patrick, commemorated on the 16th of May, Colgan, AA. SS., pp. 
268, 478, 756, 783; Colgan, T.T., pp. 227, 231, 266; Martyrol. of 
