X54 [Proc. B.N.F.C , 



There is little left of these ruins, apart from the deep interest 

 that must attach to one of the earliest Christian sites in the 

 country, to arouse antiquarian enthusiasm. The foundations 

 of a Church measuring about 58 feet by 22 feet may be traced, 

 and a little to the north of it stands the base cf a Round 

 Tower, and the foundations of a number of walls have been 

 discovered adjoining, while the whole is enclosed by several 

 faint concentric ramparts of earth. There is no doubt that 

 this place would amply repay the labours of some competent 

 excavator, as very little in this way is known to have been 

 done beyond some preliminary observations by the late Dr. 

 Reeves in 1844. But our time here had now expired, and we 

 embarked to rejoin the other members of our party, whom, 

 by the aid of our glasses, we could observe at Ballydorn Quay, 

 the strong currents having obliged them to give up the 

 attempt to land with us, and as we were putting out from 

 Mahee Island we had a forcible illustration of the aptitude 

 of the Norse name for the lough — Strangford (Strang Fiord, 

 the violent inlet, probably on account of its rushing tides) — 

 as we watched the efforts of one of the boats, which, though 

 four oars were ably manned, failed to make the slightest 

 headway against the strongly-running tide, but was obliged 

 to turn back and make with us for Ballydorn Quay, on the 

 island opposite which stand the remains of Sketrick Castle 

 {Sgath derg, red shadow), one of the strongest of the twenty- 

 seven fortresses built by the Anglo-Normans at Strangford 

 Lough after John De Courcy's invasion in the year 1177 a.d. 

 Till lately this castle stood tolerably complete, but in 1896 the 

 south-western angle fell with a great crash one spring day. 

 The portion which remains is much fissured, and will probably 

 not long survive. At Ballydorn Quay we found brakes in 

 waiting, and were soon driving merrily along the hilly road 

 to Comber, where we were refreshed, after a long day's 

 exertions, by the tea provided for us. During the day forty- 

 one species of birds were reported as being observed. The 

 botanical members of the party did not report any rare species 

 as having been found, but many interesting plants were 



