1*93-94.] $3 



in view ; whilst around lies the old cemetery of Lisnagarric, 

 which contained about two acres. The stones were great, 

 irregular uncut blocks, many of them showing nicely chiselled 

 crosses on their sides. The last interment here was in 1821. 

 On the north side of this graveyard stood the ancient church 

 that tradition says was the fourth built in Ireland. Be that 

 as it may, in the year 11 00 Osway, a Danish invader, landed 

 on the shores of Lough Strangford, marched through Down- 

 patrick, and took up his headquarters in the Fort of Ballylone, 

 which has three circumvallations, and was known as Osway's 

 Fort, for here he lived and robbed and plundered at his own 

 sweet will. 



Perched on a rock like an eagle's nest in the next townland 

 stood the Castle of Tonart More, the walls of which were four 

 feet thick, the whole enclosed within a stone fort, and the tracks 

 worn by the sentinel on the rock are still to be seen. In the 

 year 1102 Tonart gave Osway battle and was defeated, taking 

 refuge in the crannoge in the adjoining lake, whilst Osway 

 plundered and burnt the Church of Lisnagarric. How long it 

 remained in ruins is unknown, but in the wars of 1641 it was 

 again destroyed by Shane O'Neill. Saintfield was then beginning 

 to grow into a hamlet, and it was agreed to built a new church 

 there, and accordingly the present church was built in 1650. 

 The bell was hung in an adjoining tree, and is still preserved, 

 and probably is the old Lisnagarric Church bell. The memorial 

 stone of the old church, together with the coins, were removed 

 to Saintfield, where the stone may still be seen built into the 

 wall of the present church. In 1857 R. A. M'Ewen excavated 

 the crannoge in the lake, and found the remains of Tonart and 

 his followers. Their shoes were in good preservation, and were 

 sewed with leather thongs ; he also found a canoe hollowed out 

 of a log of oak. The ancient font, now in my possession, was 

 turned up in the old graveyard whilst the same was being 

 ploughed. The foundations of the ancient church were fully 

 exposed during agricultural operations in 1822, but all evidence 

 of their existence has now passed away, even the graveyard 



