The Early Christian Architecture of Ireland. 91 



these dioceses we are indeed very poor in such architecture. 

 Any person who wants to study Irish architecture by coming 

 here to-night has had an opportunity of learning much without 

 the trouble of going through Ireland. I have very much 

 pleasure in supporting the motion of Mr. Young. 



Mr. Wm. Gray — Mr. President, allow me to endorse all that 

 has been said in approval of the lecture. I am sure we ought 

 to be extremely obliged to Mr. Milligan for bringing such a 

 series of views before us. He has made very much use of them 

 in endeavouring to draw our attention to ecclesiastical archi- 

 tecture — a matter which, as has been demonstrated to-night, is 

 not the dry-as-dust subject it is generally thought by the 

 community. He has referred to the introduction of Christianity 

 into Ireland. I think che general impression is that Christianity 

 was introduced about the sixth century ; but we have in Ireland 

 evidence of the existence of Christianity long anterior to that 

 date. There are no buildings similar to many of those shown 

 to-night in any other portion of Europe, and they demon- 

 strate from their character that Christianity must have been 

 introduced into the island long prior to the sixth or fifth 

 century ; otherwise there would have been no such superior 

 buildings. Mr. Milligan referred to Cashel, and traced distinc- 

 tions between one tower and another as evidence of their 

 ecclesiastical character. I think when Christians came to 

 Ireland first, they adopted the form of residence and conformed 

 to the customs of the native Irish. It is rather a dangerous 

 thing to be drawing several inferences from minute details. I 

 have very great pleasure in supporting the suggestion of Mr. 

 Young ; although a little informal, we take it for granted that 

 a vote of thanks will be passed. 



Mr. Wm. Armstrong — I should like to ask Mr. Milligan a 

 question. It is with regard to St. Patrick. He is said by a 

 great many to have been buried outside the Cathedral at Down- 

 patrick, and a gentleman told me a short time ago that 

 numbers of people come there and take away the earth, and 

 carry their fervour to such an extent that a considerable quan- 



