441 



very romantic, being on the northern declivity of the Clare hills, over- 

 looking the deep valley which separates Clare from Gal way, and which 

 embosoms two beautiful lakes — Lough Graney (Lake of the Sun), and 

 Lough Cooter, with its wooded shores, and islets, and magnificent 

 castle, whose lofty towers and battlements proudly rise over the stately 

 woods by which they are surrounded, and fling their shadows o'er the 

 pellucid lake, " whose tiny wavelets murmur at its base." 



They consist of two sepulchral monuments, distant about a furlong 

 from each other, with two figures inscribed on the adjacent rocks, which 

 in many places present tolerably smooth exposed surfaces. The monu- 

 ment at the greatest elevation on the slope of the hills, though not in 

 the most perfect state of preservation, is the largest. It is called by the 

 people of the locality " Leabadh Diarmaid" (Diarmud's Bed), while the 

 smaller and more perfect one is called " Leabadh Granu." I may remark, 

 en passant, that there is a very remarkable sepulchral monument at 

 Coolmore, about three miles north of Ballyshannon, county of Donegal, 

 to which local tradition has assigned the name of " Diarmud and 

 Granu' s Bed." The rock inscriptions, of which I append tolerably 

 correct copies (PL XXIX.), are — 



1st. An elaborately and artistically designed figure, somewhat 

 resembling the caduceus of Mercury (JSTo. 3). 



2nd. The impression or outline of the sole of a sandal. I suppose it 

 to represent a sandal ; as, if it were intended to represent the naked foot, 

 there would certainly be some attempt, however rude, to represent the 

 formation of the toes. The foot must have been rather small, probably 

 that of a youth or of a female, as the carving represented it as only 10 

 inches in length, by 4 J inches at the widest part, and 1\ inches at the 

 narrowest part (No. 2). 



My reasons for assuming that the two first-mentioned remains are 

 sepulchral, and not cromleacs erected for sacrificial purposes, are — 



1st. The name accorded to them by local tradition. 



2nd. The covering slabs being placed almost horizontally, without 

 the inclination of the covering slabs observable in structures intended 

 for sacrificial purposes ; and, 



3rd. The extreme roughness and irregularity of the upper surface 

 of the covering slabs, formed of the coarse conglomerate rock of the 

 locality. This is most observable in the smaller and more perfect mo- 

 nument, which is covered by a single slab, tolerably smooth on the 

 inner side, but extremely uneven on the outer side, without the slightest 

 mark to indicate that it was ever designed or used for any purpose but 

 that of effectively securing the receptacle underneath. The larger one, 

 of which I give a rude drawing, was covered by at least two large slabs, 

 the end one of which still remains in its original position. The other 

 has been broken into fragments, some of which have been removed ; but 

 one large one yet remains, leaning against and overtopping the support- 



