96 



story shows that it may not be older than the close of the fourteenth 

 century. 



No. 63. South doorway of Knockcommon old church, near Duleek, 

 county of Meath. 



No. 64. Plan of Dowth old church, county of Meath. 

 ISTo. 65. South door of ditto. 

 No. 66. North door of ditto. 



No. 67. Small door leading from the north wall of the choir of 

 same to the sacristy, which is now totally gone. The two main 

 doorways to this church are semicircular-headed, with the angles 

 plainly chamfered. That now illustrated is pointed, and its angles 

 recessed and rounded — a moulding somewhat characteristic of the 

 end of the 14th century. We have here another example of the intro- 

 duction of the semicircular with the pointed arch in the same build- 

 ing — a fact which is apparently a stumbling-block to some recent 

 writers on the antiquities of this district. 



No. 68. Ardcath old church, county of Heath. 



No. 69. South door in nave of Ardcath old church, with small 

 window adjoining it on the west. The doorway is pointed, with 

 the angles chamfered; the window is semicircular-headed, with the 

 angles also chamfered. We have here, therefore, another example 

 of the combination of the two forms of the arch in a church of 

 one period. The date of this building may be late in the 14th 

 century. 



No. 70. Doorway in south wall of chancel of Ardcath old church. 

 This, like the small window just alluded to, is semicircular-headed, 

 but the angles are untouched. 



No. 71. Window in north wall, and chancel window of the same 

 church. 



Duleek, County of Heath. 



No. 72. Ancient cross in the graveyard of Duleek abbey church. 

 This small, but beautiful cross of the old Irish type, possibly ninth or 

 tenth century, is well worthy of study, and belongs to the class called 

 " Scripture crosses," of which we have such magnificent examples at 

 Kells,in the Co. Meath. The west face of this cross is that which I 

 have illustrated as being the best preserved and most interesting. 



As usual, the space at the intersection of the arms is occupied by a 

 representation of the crucifixion. Over this the figure of a cock beneath 

 two seated figures represents the temptation of Peter. Below the cruci- 

 fixion is a bas-relief representing the betrayal of our Lord by Judas. 

 The device below this I cannot explain ; but that filling up the lowest 

 compartment on the shaft is clearly St. Joseph with the Yirgin and 

 child. 



The most remarkable carvings are those in the small compart- 

 ments at either end of the arms of the cross. Each of these is filled 

 with a sitting figure— the one on the right holding the short pastoral 



