466 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



three Pagan earns, and one of them the finest in Fermanagh. By 

 accident, when the owner of the place was making a deep ditch along the 

 south side of this earn, he disentombed two ornamented urns, contain- 

 ing burnt bones. On its eastern slopes there are two " giants' graves," 

 one of which I assisted Mr. Wakeman to explore. It was an oblong 

 square, formed of rough limestone flags, set on edge, and measured 

 about 17 feet long, and 4 feet broad; it yielded human bones, mingled 

 with those of animals. There were traces of charcoal round the 

 margin of t\\e grave. It was Mr. Wakeman' s opinion, from the pre- 

 sence of the charcoal and animal remains, that they had funeral 

 feasts at the time of burial. 



The top of the hill is about half a mile broad at its widest diame- 

 ter. A county road encircles its base, and is united by a short 

 junction to the road leading from Enniskillen to Derrylin. 



The hill commands one of the most magnificent and comprehen- 

 sive views to be obtained in the fifty-two miles of country through 

 which Lough Erne passes. Standing on its top, and looking towards 

 the north on the opposite side of the lake, there appears, sequestered 

 in a shady nook on the wooded island of Belleisle, the square tower 

 attached to the residence of J. G. V. Porter, Esq., and lately occupied 

 by the Earl of Rosse ; and on the same spot, during the fourteenth 

 century, Charles Maguire compiled one of the best collections of the 

 annals of Ireland, which are known as the Annals of Ulster (Wake- 

 man's Guide to Lough Erne). Looking to the west, about four miles 

 distant, the eye rests on the palatial residence of the Earl of Ennis- 

 killen, situated at the base of Benaughlin mountain. Eastward, in the 

 dim chstance, may be recognised the last of a group of mansions which 

 stud the shores of Upper Lough Erne in this locality — I mean the 

 seat of the Earl of Erne, contiguous to Avhich the old ivy-clad Castle 

 of Crom, which stood many a hot siege, raises its roofless but vener- 

 able walls. 



Mr. Porter, whose residence I have described, is owner of a large 

 portion of Knockninny hill, and has built a neat hotel at its base 

 on the shore of the lake. Were it not for his enterprising and 

 generous spirit, the public would have no means of visiting the 

 scenery and antiquities of Lough Erne, as he, at considerable ex- 

 pense and pecuniary loss, keeps a neat steam-boat on the lake for the 

 accommodation of tourists. But for this gentleman Knockninny cave 

 would probably still remain unexplored. During the month of June 

 last I had been exploring some caves in the mountains west of Ennis- 

 killen, when I happened to meet Mr. Porter, and had some conversa- 

 tion with him on cave-hunting. He at once asked me to make 

 a preliminary inspection of the "fox cave" at Knockninny, and 

 ascertain if it was worth exploring, proposing at the same time to 

 supply any labourers I might require. I at once accepted his kind offer, 

 and on a convenient day visited the cave, bringing with me two 

 labourers who were in Mr. Porter's employment, working in a quarry 

 at Knockninny. 



