Recent Archceological Explorations in Co. Sligo. 43 



Christianity in Ireland, founded by no less a personage than St. 

 Columbcille, in a.d. 585. Drumcliffe was burned by the Danes 

 after they had plundered Innismurray, which was the first spot 

 these sea rovers landed on in the western coast in the year 807, 

 when they had a sail of 50 vessels. 



Lying off the coast some four and a half miles is the Island of 

 Innismurray, celebrated up to a recent period for the very fine 

 mountain dew distilled there — which did not much increase the 

 Imperial revenue — but more famous as the residence of St. 

 Molaise in the 6th century ; not the St. Molaise of Devenish in 

 Lough Erne, but another celebrated man bearing a similar 

 name, which is to the present day a household word in Innis- 

 murray. Here are many monuments of Pagan and early 

 Christian times — pillar-stones of undoubted Pagan origin, after- 

 wards consecrated by the Christian saints with the emblem of 

 their faith — the cross — carved in various styles. 



These early saints were wise in their generation. Instead of 

 rudely breaking the people off their stone worship, well worship, 

 and Pagan festivals, they consecrated them all to the service of 

 the new faith. They carved crosses on the pillar-stones ; they 

 baptised the converts at the sacred wells ; they turned the Pagan 

 feasts into Christian festivals, and thus the change to the new 

 faith was the more easily accomplished. 



It was by the route last described — by Bundoran and the 

 coast — that the armies of Ulster used to invade Connaught, 

 sometimes led by an O'Neill, at other times by an O'Donnell. 

 There were battles fought here in very ancient times, which we 

 need not now refer to ; suffice it to say, this is classic Irish soil. 

 Its ancient history, if recorded by another Walter Scott, would 

 lend a charm and an interest to it equal to any in Europe. 



Though this country has been a favourite resort of antiquarians 

 for more than a century past, there still remain many interesting 

 relics of by-gone ages, the existence of which have never been 

 recorded. Beranger, who visited it in 1779, was one of its first ex- 

 plorers. Afterwards Dr. Petrie in 1837, and Mr. Walker of Rath- 

 carrick, at whose seat the ancient stone chair or seat on which the 

 Q'Neills were crowned, is still preserved. How it was removed 



