1906-1906.] 377 



made to the graveyard, in front of which the cross stands. 

 This contains the remains of an ancient font and a rather 

 curious modern monument erected "To the memory of Hugh 

 O'Neill, of the Red Hand of Ulster, created Earl of Tyrone by 

 her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, and afterwards elected King of 

 all Ireland by the kings, chiefs, and earls and with the 

 unanimous goodwill of the common people of the country."^ 

 Hugh O'Neill died at Rome on July 20th, 16 16. After leaving 

 the graveyard, Mr. Brown very kindly offered to- conduct the 

 party over his soap works, and the members were much in- 

 terested in the various processes of soap, glycerine, and candle 

 making. 



A start was now made for Dungannon, and, v/hile some of 

 the party took the train, the majority walked along the old road, 

 a distance of about two and a half rhiles, which yielded a large 

 number of wild flowers tO' the botanists. On arriving at 

 Dungannon the party proceeded up the hill to the site of 

 O'Neill's Castle, of which Mr. James M. Hamilton, town clerk, 

 gave a brief account. He, in a few words, welcomed the mem- 

 bers of the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club to the town of the 

 Volunteers and to the historic site of the famous castle of the 

 O'Neills. The ruins they now saw were not those of O'Neill's 

 Castle, but of a much more modern building, erected towards 

 the end of the i8th century by a Mr. Hannyngton, whose family 

 resided in Dungannon for several generations. The only ruins 

 connected with the ancient castle now visible were those of the 

 chapel which was attached to same, and the undtrground 

 passages which ran underneath the castle in the direction of the 

 chapel. It was said that these passages ran considerable dis- 

 tances underneath what is now the town of Dungannon. but, if 

 so, traces of them in that direction are now lost. 



The speaker briefly referred to the rebellions of the O'Neills 

 during the reign of Elizabeth, to the battle of Benburb, in which 

 the English were defeated ; and to the final overthrow of 

 O'Neill by Lord Mountjoy, which caused the Irish chieftain to 

 set fire to the castle at Dungannon and flee to France. 



