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in this place. The old Dublin road crossed it where now the new road 

 leads from Abbey- street to the railway station; the hollow was then filled 

 to level it up to its present height. This, my informant told me, was 

 called "the Gap," and that he often heard his grandfather speak of a 

 battle that was fought there " about cows." These traditions must have 

 great value in settling the precise locality of the scene of the " Siege of 

 ilowth." The top of Dunboe was crowned with a moat — portions of it 

 can be still seen. It was a favourite spot in the olden time as a look- 

 out station for the seamen of Howth. On it, too, were lighted the mid- 

 summer fires, which were visible through the whole of Eingal, To the 

 west of the moat at the mearing of the demesne was a terminal cross, 

 to which the funeral processions of the lower part of the town were 

 marched before interment in the old cemetery. Dunboe has suffered 

 much by recent innovations : to make " The new Eoad," more than forty 

 feet of its flank were cut away some years ago. Still earlier, another slice 

 was cut away to give room for the road at the top of the harbour. 

 Some rocks in this place under the Court-house (now being built), called 

 Molly Piles Rocks," anciently defended its base from the fury of 

 the sea in the north-east gales. Then also the place now occupied 

 by the St. Lawrence Hotel was a deep pool of water, so that the 

 hill was surrounded on the east, north, and west sides with the 

 sea. Dunboe seems destined for still further ruin : an immense hole 

 is made on its side. A house is to be built into it, which, apart 

 from the questionable taste of removing an ancient land-mark of 

 history, will be anything but ornamental to the only approach to 

 the town. 



]S T o. III. 



In the spring of this year (1868), the arable portion of Ireland's Eye 

 was ploughed for the purpose of setting crops. A coin of the Em- 

 peror Constantine was the only object of interest which then turned up. 

 It was found on the bank over the deep cut or gap in the eastern part 

 of the island, brought into notoriety by a tragical occurrence some 

 years ago. The edge of this coin is eaten away, as the place where 

 it was found is exposed to the spray of the waves in stormy wea- 

 ther. The monogram XP of our Redeemer on the reverse, with the 

 profile of the Emperor on the obverse, place its assignment beyond 

 question. On the 5th of this month (May, 1868), aflat stone, which was 

 in a potato trench, was removed, as it was in the way of the labourer. 

 It was found to be the covering flag of a kist-vaen, containing human 

 remains. This grave was not further disturbed till the 16th of May ; 

 want of opportunity, rough weather, and a heavy sea in the sound, 

 prevented its being inspected and examined sooner. On the 15th, 

 the grave was opened ; it was not more than twelve inches under the 

 surface, which was all removed, and the covering flags laid bare; 

 these were then carefully taken up. The sides and ends of the grave 

 were built in rubble without any cement ; at its head or western end. 



