i88o-i88i.] 19 



this order. The buildings eastward of the cloister garth were 

 then described, starting from the south transept of the church, 

 and the uses of each department briefly explained in the follow- 

 ing order, viz. : — The sacristy, the chapter-house, over which 

 was the scriptorium or library ; the monks' day-rooms extended 

 southwards, and as recent excavations had shown, were pro- 

 longed beyond the original outlines. Over these were the dor- 

 mitories, which communicated with the church by a winding 

 stone stair, termed the " night stair," of which we have the 

 lower steps and newel, still in situ in Greyabbey. Bounding the 

 cloister garth on the south, are the remains of the kitchen and 

 of a very fine refectory of the normal type, with its now ruinous 

 pulpit stairs. The position of the sanitary arrangements and 

 the garderobes, is evidenced by the flushing sewer, which has 

 lately been explored. Mr. Phillips referred to the last report of 

 the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club, and other publications of his, 

 for an extended account showing the coincidence of Greyabbey 

 and Inch Abbey in their plan. Allusions were made to the 

 " masons' marks," many of which, cut by the workmen to 

 identify each stone and guide them to their destination in the 

 building, are still to be seen. We owe much to the careful and 

 intelligent conservation of these ruins by Colonel Montgomery. 

 Over twenty years ago he undertook to clear out the rubbish 

 and oyster-shells of a colony of beggars who had previously 

 occupied the ruins for many years. His conservative instincts 

 saved for the archaeologist the remains of the mediaeval ruin, at 

 a time when very little information was to be had about Cis- 

 tercian planning, and long before Sir John Lubbock's commend- 

 able exertions in Parliament anent ancient monuments. The 

 present owner of this fine old abbey ruin protects the building 

 from the weather as far as possible, so that at present, owing to 

 his reverent care, it is admittedly one of the best preserved ruins 

 of the kingdom. 



Calling at Newtownards as they returned, the party was in 

 full trim to do justice to the lunch provided at the hotel. This 

 over, and after the Rev. G. Robinson had been elected repre- 



