322 [Proc. B. N. F. C, 



weather and the liberal terms always offered by the Northern 

 Counties Railway brought out a large party, which proceeded 

 by the tweve o'clock train to Dunadry station. The first 

 object visited was the fine stone circle at Kilmakee, about half 

 a mile distant. This circle is formed of over forty stones, most 

 of them of large size, and is still almost complete, about si:tty- 

 six feet in diameter. The group of fine trees standing in the 

 circle gives it a very striking and impressive appearance. At 

 Dunadry there used to be a very fine example of the funereal 

 mound, from which the village, no doubt, derived its name. 

 This fell a victim, about fifty years since, to the cupidity of a 

 farmer, who desired the mould of which it was composed to 

 spread on his field. It was built on a solid foundation of three 

 rings of stones, and its sides were faced with stones to a consi- 

 derable height. In removing it a skeleton and several valuable 

 relics were found, which are now in the Museum of the Royal 

 Irish Academy. The next place visited was Rathmore, the 

 great earthen fort at which place, known as Rathmore Trench, 

 was the seat of the kings of Dalariada during the sixth and suc- 

 ceeding centuries. Not far distant is another fort — Rathbeg, 

 which there was not time to visit ; the scene of the treacherous 

 murder of the last King of Ireland who reigned at Tara. By 

 adding one or two slight inferences to the ancient record, we 

 may draw a very fair picture of the transactions of that lawless 

 time, when Christianity was slowly and with uncertain steps 

 making its way into the hearts, and taming the manners, of a 

 barbarous people. Diarmid MacCearbhall, King of Ireland, 

 and the pious founder of Clonmacnoise, on his passage through 

 Ulster had reached Rathbeg. Many years before, he had slain 

 the King of Dalariada, but in penitence for the deed had reared 

 his son, Aodh the Black, who now reigned at Rathmore. The 

 blood feud was deferred, not forgotten, however ; and Aodh, 

 not wishing, it may be, to sully his conscience by such a gross 

 breach of the laws of hospitality as the murder of his foster- 

 father and suzerain would have been, under his own roof, com- 

 pounded with his conscience by setting fire to Rathbeg whilst 



