266 Proceedingfi of the Royal Irish Academy. 



contemporary with, the rest of the carving ; the ornament of the stone 

 is a completed scheme. The hands round the hase show that it was 

 intended to he set upright, and was in fact a stele. As already stated, 

 there is nothing Christian ahont the monnment. The incised panels, 

 howeTer, lead into the Christian period, when the use of the trumpet- 

 pattern organized as a system of interlocking spirals hecomes frequent 

 for the filling of panel spaces. The MuUaghmast stone must, there- 

 fore, he placed towards the end of the pre-Christian period in Ii'eland, 

 or in the overlap of the Pagan and Christian periods. 



It may now be asked, what light do these stones throw on the 

 general question of a La Tene period in Ireland ? I think it may he 

 claimed that they show that the La Tene style had taken deep root in 

 Ireland before the Cliristian period, and that the La Tene antiquities 

 found from time to time are not to he accounted for simply by trade 

 or raid from Britaia and the Continent. 



That the La Tene style was widely spread in Ireland I have held 

 to be probable, chiefly on the ground that the derived La Tene orna- 

 ment, which forms so marked a feature of early Christian ornament in 

 Ireland, presumed an extensive use of the La Tene style previous to 

 the introduction of Christianity. These stones go fai', I think, to 

 confirm that opinion. It must be borne in mind that the ancient 

 inhabited sites of Ireland have not been excavated. The great period 

 of Tara and of Emania, in our heroic literature, was from a centuiy or 

 two B.C. to the third century a.d. From Emania, some very beautiful 

 La Tene brooches are known, and there can be no reasonable doubt 

 that if either of these sites were excavated, numerous antiquities of 

 the La Tene style would be brought to light.^ 



In conclusion, I desire to express my indebtedness to Mr, A. 

 Me Googan, of the National Museum, for much kind assistance in the 

 preparation of the photographs to illustrate this paper. 



1 The fibula, "Horae Ferales," PI. sxi., fig. 1, is stated to be from Xavan Rath, 

 Co. Meath. This is an error for the Xavan Rath, near Armagh, the site of the 

 ancient Emania {an Eamhuin = nEarnhuiti, pronounced Navan, and novf known as 

 the Navan Rath, or Xavan Fort). Two other examples from the same site are in 

 the National CoEection. Wilde's Catalogue R.I. A., p. 568. Petrie Collection, 

 No. 612. 



