74 



After giving a minute description of the Abbey Church and 

 the monastic buildings now traceable, which was illustrated by 

 several plans and sketches, the reader proceeded to discuss the 

 question of the age of the foundation. He exhibited a careful 

 drawing he had lately made of the exterior of the east gable of the 

 church, and pointed out the evidence it contained in the remains 

 imbedded in it of an earlier and larger window, and by a refe- 

 rence to drawings of similar portions of abbey churches in other 

 parts of the North of Ireland, and specially that of Killydonnel, 

 in county Donegal, of which the date is known, he concluded 

 that the first building was certainly not later than 1450, and 

 probably a good deal earlier, and that the alterations made by 

 Roory M'Quillan about 1500, as recorded in a MS. in the 

 British Museum, are the only and quite insufficient grounds on 

 which to base his claims to be the original founder of the 

 abbey. 



In addition to the reader's own drawings, Mr. Lockwood lent 

 a large plan of the abbey buildings, from actual measurements; 

 and Dr. James Moore, R.H.A., exhibited a coloured sketch, 

 taken a great many years ago, showing that a great deal of 

 dilapidation had occurred since. 



