490 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



the clioir is raised above the nave, and the altar-recess above the choir ; 

 these, as well as the western part of the church, are vaulted over, so 

 that there are chambers above them. The central space is covered by 

 a wagon- vault. 



"St. Salvador de Yaldedios, near Yilla Viciosa, has aisles, but the 

 same system of vaulting over both ends of the church exists and, as in 

 the others, there are small chambers right and left on entering the 

 western door. A porch and other chambers are attached to the south 

 side, and may have served as dwellings for priests or attendants on the 

 ehiu'ch. This has been attributed to a.d. 892. 



" The upper chambers in all these chui'ches are open to the church, 

 not closed as in Ireland, and capable of being used as dwelling-places. 

 These buildings are all small, but have a good deal of ornament, and 

 exhibit a peculiarity of style, the origin of which cannot be traced to 

 any other country, and which was probably developed from the earlier 

 imitations of Eoman work. A clue to the reasons for the peculiarity 

 of plan seems altogether wanting. The square end of the chancel may 

 perhaps be thought to indicate some Irish influence, as that country is 

 the only one where this form is anything but the rarest exception. 

 Although, as has been said, the churches of the earlier period have dis- 

 appeared, Spain has preserved in a remarkable manner some of the 

 traditions of the arrangements of chui'ches in the earlier periods. 

 Probably these traditions were handed down through a chain of 

 numerous links, the earlier of which have perished." 



Page 384. — " Ireland. — Here we find a great number of very small 

 chxu'ches, very roughly built, with very little attempt at any decora- 

 tion, frequently lighted only by one very small window, but constructed 

 usually with extremely large stones, and not unfrequently built with 

 that material exclusively, the roof being formed by horizontal courses, 

 each brought forward until they meet on the top. Such are the 

 chui'ches or chapels of Tempull Ceannanach ; of St. McDara ; of Pore, 

 Co. Westmeath, and many others. 



" It is a question of much interest, whence the builders of these 

 churches derived their ideas of architecture, those buildings resembling 

 in no respect any contemporaneous structure in England, Prance, or 

 Italy. Improbable as the suggestion may at first sight appear, it 

 would seem that it was Central Syiia which furnished the models ; 

 that eoimtry abounds with churches' and monasteries constructed 

 between the third and the seventh centuries, in a style founded upon 

 the Eoman architecture of the time, but with many peculiarities both 

 of construction and of detail. 



