208 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
iu the Academy's Museum — the great pastoral or processional staff of 
the Abbots of Clonmacnoise. 
When we institute a close comparison between the decorations of 
inlaid silver, in narrow strips, and of niello, displayed on both these 
croziers, we find that alike in material, in their peculiar designs of 
flowing and interlacing curves, and in the mode of manipulation 
practised, both are referable to the best age of Irish art ; and there is 
such intimate relationship in their fabrications, that we can readily 
fancy the same workshop produced them — nay, it appears quite pro- 
bable they owe their fabrication to the same skilful workman's 
fingers, the patterns being designed by one artist — an opinion con- 
firmed by their showing certain material coincidences otherwise 
difficult of explanation. 
One of these points of similarity, though of minor importance, 
is that Irish croziers often have an elevated narrow ridge prolonged 
along the vertical portion of the crook. In that of Clonmacnoise this 
ridge consists of a series of figures, which at first sight might be com- 
pared to a number of hounds chasing each other ; yet it may be, as 
suggested to me, a representation of interlaced and twining stems 
of some tree. In my example the ridge once present has been lost or 
destroyed, but the fissure remains to which it was attached. Now in 
the Clonmacnoise crozier (a feature of much importance, as showing 
mutual resemblance and relationship) this ridge springs from the 
upper part of a projecting support, which appears intended to repre- 
sent the head of a ram, at least such is the best conjecture I am able 
to offer ; and an identically similar fiyure occupies a similar position in 
my crozier ; from it the fissure extends upwards alike along the middle 
of both the new decorated staff and the older crozier-head, but whether 
the ridge formerly reached so far as the latter is problematical — pro- 
bably it did not — it may have terminated about the bend of the handle. 
This ram's head, if it be such, springs from a decorated flat ring, 
which terminates, and bounds the vertical part of the staff inferiorly; 
and in front of it, opposite the head, is another much smaller and less 
prominent ornamentation. Both this and the ring itself, as well as 
the head, were once gilt, and, in several respects, resemble the cor- 
responding parts of the Clonmacnoise crozier. It was observing these 
coincidences that induced me to institute inquiries as to a possible 
connexion between the monastery of Clonmacnoise and my new 
discovery, and with other circumstances, yet to be mentioned, led to 
deductions appearing to have a certain support from early Irish 
annals, which I shall proceed to mention. 
