394 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



censer; the background is engraved on the dexter with a human-headed wyrem 

 possibly meant for a manticora, and a priest holding a chahce, and on the 

 sinister with a similar human-headed beast or manticora, and a gx-iffin. The 

 design is framed in an ornamental border containing, on the top and base, 

 pairs of confi'onting creatures, probably intended for lions and \vy\-enis, and at 

 the sides, a freehand design of oak-leaves. Six ornamental settings, five 

 of which still contain crystals, are fastened to the plate, one at each 

 comer, and one at the head and one at the feet of the principal figure. 

 The upper setting on the dexter side is oval, ornamented with a kind of 

 beading, and twisted-wii-e chain-work ; it has claws to retain the crystal, 

 which is ridged ; the lower is octagonal, with a species of frilled ornament at 

 the base ; it has teeth and clamps to retain the faceted stone. On the sinister 

 side the upper setting is oval, its base is decorated with a herring-bone pattern, 

 formerly ornamented with niello, it has serrated teeth to retain its ridged gem ; 

 the lower setting is also oval, with a beaded border, chain-work, and serrated 

 teeth. The settings at the head and feet of the principal figure are very elabo- 

 rate ; the upper one is circular and ornamented with small bosses and double- 

 twisted chain and single-twisted wire-work; it has ten settings containing 

 uncut sapphires and pearls. The lower, which is rectangular, is ornamented 

 with plaited wire, and with scrolls in single-twisted wire enclosing small 

 knobs; its four small corner settings contain coloured glass. This setting 

 is now empty ; but in Sir William Betham's reply to Lady O'Donel's Bill of 

 Complaint in the Chancer)' action which was commenced in 1814, it is 

 stated (in a description of the shrine therein inserted), that at the foot 

 of the Saint's figure is a setting with a piece of glass covering some small 

 bits of cloth supposed to be a relic of the Saint's garment. In the illustration 

 of the shrine in Betham's " Irish Antiquarian Eesearches " (1827), previously 

 referred to, this setting appears to be represented as filled : but in the Fomth 

 Eeport of the Historical Manuscripts Commission (1874), p. 587, it is stated 

 by Sir John T. Gilbert, who there described the shrine, that "At the feet of the 

 figure is a now vacant square setting for a lai^e gem " ; so its contents seem 

 to have disappeared between the years 1827 and 1874. The practice of 

 enshrining pieces of cloth, presumably portions of a Saint's garaient, was not 

 infrequent in Ireland; the Fiacail Phddraig (Shrine of St. Patrick's tooth) has 

 a piece of linen, doubtless a relic, inserted beneath the lower portion of the 

 silver plate on the front of the shrine,' while the head of the crozier of 

 St. Blathmac contains the remains of the Saint's wooden stafl' wrapped in 

 some kind of coarse cloth.' 



- Sir W. R. WUde, " Lough Corrib," 1872, p. 189. 



' " Jonmal Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland," vcl. xsiv, p. 338. 



