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



On Thursday the party were early afoot, visiting first the 

 cromlech which stands in a ditch of a field just outside the town, 

 off the Newcastle Road. After securing photographs of this, 

 another visit was paid to the harbour, in which schooners and 

 fishing smacks can lie in perfect security, but the entrance is 

 somewhat narrow and difficult of access during an easterly gale. 

 After breakfast a visit was made to the ruins of Kilkeel old 

 church and graveyard, just opposite the hotel. Kilkeel (the 

 narrow church) was described, in 162Z as being then ruinous, 

 but was repaired and altered considerably, and used as the 

 parish church till 181 5, when the present Protestant church 

 was built upon another site. The old church stands inside an 

 earthen fort, and whether the custom dates from heathen times 

 or no, corpses before interment were carried three times round 

 the ramparts. The Rev. J. O'Laverty in his '' Down and 

 Connor" mentions an instance of this having been done so 

 lately as twelve years ago. There is a rude granite cross of 

 great age in the graveyard, resembling many of those in Dublin 

 and Wicklow. 



A start was now made for Slieve Bingian, whose rocky 

 summit stands out most conspicuous amongst the granite peaks 

 of Beanne Boirchy, as the Mourne Mountains were originally 

 called. As we cross the bridge over the Kilkeel River, the vast 

 extent of the glacial drift through which the stream cuts its 

 way is to be noted. Seen from the harbour's mouth, it is even 

 more conspicuous, where the sea has cut into the low cliffs of 

 granite debris that stretch for several miles, and which tell a 

 tale of the enormous amount of denudation that must have 

 gone on amongst the mountains. On leaving the car, Slieve 

 Bingian, which is about the same height (2,449 ^ eet ) as Errigal, 

 in Donegal, and reminds one of it, rises before us, and the road 

 or track passes amongst thickly scattered boulders of granite, 

 from which it is cheering to hear the clink of the mason's 

 hammer, for many of these stones are being worked up into 

 curbs and setts, and are carted down and shipped at Annalong. 

 As we rise we skirt round a small pointed hill, Moolieve, 1,090 



