206 Froceedings of the Royal Irish AcadeDuj. 



meaning, "par extension," " nne jolie fille." From this point of 

 riew "Begnet" might represent either the Order collectively, or the 

 head of the Order or house for the time heing ; and the date of the 

 festival might vary from place to place, and even apply to different 

 saints. 



On the other hand, some consideration may be had of the Orienta- 

 tion of the church of Dalkey Town. In Chambers's " Encyclopaedia " 

 (1901), under the word "Orientation," it is stated : " The Orientation 

 of churches is not usually very exactly to the east ; and it is supposed 

 that the east end, in some cases, has been set so as to point towards 

 the place where the sun rises on the morning of the patron saint's day. 

 In other cases, the choir and the nave are not built exactly in a 

 straight line, the choir having thus a right inclination to one side, 

 ■which in the symbolism of the middle age, was supposed to indicate 

 the bowing of our Saviour's head on the cross." 



Now the church of Dalkey presents the peciJiarity of having the old 

 nave a more modem chancel orientated in slightly different directions 

 (PI. XIY., fig. 2). The older or western portion is orientated about 

 east 8° 10' north; while the eastern and modern end has a direction 

 of about east 9^ 30' north. Assuming that this or these orientations 

 were intended to point to the point of the horizon at which the sun 

 rose on the festival day of the patron saint, we have simply to see 

 to what dates in the year these northern declinations of the sun 

 correspond. This should take place at two different periods of the 

 year, the one on the passage of the sun from equinox to summer 

 solstice, and the other on his return southwards. In the first case, 

 there is an indicated north declination of fi'om 8° 4' 24" to 9° 31' 47" 

 occurring between the 11th and the 15th A^Jril. In the second case 

 there is an indicated north declination of from 9° 36' 38" to 8^ 10' 

 26" occurring between the S9th August and the 2nd ^eptemler. Search- 

 ing among the different saints whose festivals occur about these dates^ 

 we find mentioned St. Benezet or little St. Benedict, of Avignon, who 

 died in 1184, and whose festival is kept on the lli.th Ajynt^a possible 

 solution if there were any equivalence between Begnet, Benen, and 

 Benedict, wliich, as shown, is denied by scholars such as Dr. Todd 

 and Dr. Joyce, not to speak of the difficulty of the St. Begnet in 

 question having been a virgin. As regards the St. Bega, or Begga, the 

 daughter of Gabhran, virgin, already mentioned, and whose festival 

 is given as occurring on the 10th February, it should be remembered 

 that she is mentioned as being the sister of Lugaidh, a priest whose 

 festival is on the 17th April. 



