444 
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
and is continued at the back. The letters face inwards. It reads 
thus : — 
ORAID : DON : MFIR : DO : CVMDAIGH : AN : MINNSA : GAIL 
LIN : ADHON : BRIAN : MAC : EOGAIN : 
RVAIRC : AGVS : MARGREITE : INGIN : 
HBRIAN : AGVS : DOBI : AOIS : AN 
TIGEARNA : AN : TAN : 
SOIN : SE : BLIANA 
DEC : AR : XX : AR : M : AR 
CCCCC : AIB^: A MARIA 
which may be translated thus : — 
''Pray for the man who covered the shrine of Caillin, that is, 
Brian, son of Owen Euarck, and for Margaret, daughter of O'Brian. 
And the year of our Lord then was mcccccxxxvi. A Hail Mary for 
their souls," 
The plates, both upper and lower and the sides, are made in sepa- 
rate pieces, the whole being fastened very securely by means of solid 
clamps, which are themselves fixed on with long brass nails ; the inside 
is lined with oak. From the way in which this has been shaped and 
hollowed out, it is evident that it was used to hold a book or relics, or 
perhaps both. As a fact, we find in the Life of Caillin that " he 
brought with him numerous remains and relics when coming from 
E-ome, to increase the honour, respect, and right of sanctuary of his 
fair church of Fenagh of Magh Eein. The relics which Caillin 
brought with him from Eome were the relics of the eleven Apostles, 
and the relics of Martin, and of Lawrence, and of Stephen the Martyr. 
These are the relics which he subsequently ordered to be covered and 
enclosed in a shrine." Possibly it is in reference to these relics of the 
Apostles that the figures mentioned above have been placed on this 
shrine. 
If it ever contained the Life of St. Caillin, it must have been 
the ancient one of which that now exhibited is a copy. This, though 
written some ten years before the shrine was made, could not by any 
possibility fit in it. Neither could the copy in the British Museum, 
for I have had it measured. It is 9|- inches in length by in width. 
