28 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Acade^my. 



Eekasta Foet, Ardagh (O.S. 28). 



Between Ardagh village and Lisbane are several forts, usually small, 

 typical rings, with fosses, and inner and outer mounds. The Cathair, which gave 

 its name to Cahermoyle, is a massive defaced ring- wall, rarely 5 feet high, but 

 10 feet to 12 feet thick, with coarse facing blocks and large filling. The earthen 

 fort of Rerasta lies on higher ground than the village of Ardagh. It is much 

 overgrown, and, the site being in meadows at my visit, I could only examine 

 it from a path. A deep fosse, nearly straight, runs along the north face, and 

 is over 6 feet deep and 10 feet wide, which, with its massive mound, show it 

 it to be a place of importance ; the east and west are levelled. The place 

 measures about 300 feet across, being somewhat oblong, and is only interesting 

 from the find in its rampart of the beautiful chalice which has spread the 

 obscure name of Ardagh round the antiquarian and artistic groups of the 

 world. The chalice, as is well known, dates before a.d. 900, and is a calix 

 ministralis ;' it is formed of gold, silver, brass, bronze, copper, lead, and 

 enamel ; with it were found a very fine brooch and a bronze chalice. Early 

 Irish literature, in which we rarely look in vain for light on archaeological 

 phenomena, abounds in mention of objects found in forts and mounds. The 

 great sword, 2 feet broad, dug up in Emania in 1111 f the head-piece of 

 Smethra, brasier of Oengus of Dun Oengusa, found in Sid Cruachain ; the 

 diadem of Loeguire son of Luchta, in the Sid Findachann and the draught- 

 board of Crimthann Nia Nair, in the rath of Usnech, may suffice to be 

 named. The Agallamh has also much to tell of the finding of buried treasure. 

 To select a few extracts, a mass of rings and bracelets are found in a burial 

 mound and the excavation of a cairn, in which a shield, weapons, and a skull 

 were found, and gold hidden in a rath's high fence at the base of a monolith." 

 The Ardagh objects may have been hidden for safety in the Norse wars, as the 

 shrine of St. Patrick from Ai-magh was brought to this county for safety, by 

 the comharb who was captured by the Gentiles at Cluain Comharba (?Colman's 

 Well, in this very county), and was taken in the Danish ships to Luimneach 

 in 845. 



LiSBAKE (O.S. 19). 

 There is a very conspicuous, though low, hill, close to the ruined church of 

 Kilbradran, or, as many caU it, " Kilbraydon." Certain terraces appear on its 



'From which, before the cup was withdrawn from the laity, about a.d. 1000, the 

 deacons and congregation communicated. 

 'Ohron. Scotorura and other Annals. 

 '"Agallamh, Silva Gadelica, vol. ii, pp. 126, 153, 237. 



