Murphy — Ancient MS. Life of St. Caillin of Fenagh. 445 
This would allow it to fit in the box if there were no wood inside ; 
but it is evident that the wood was part and parcel of the original 
shrine, which was much too small for either of the copies. I may 
remark here that most of the shrines now in existence were made for 
keeping books. However, there is one at least, the Eiacal Padruig, 
which was made for relics ; and St. Manchan's shrine still contains 
a portion of his bones. 
The date of the inscription will easily determine which of the 
O'Eourkes got the shrine made. In Archdall's Peerage, ir. 24, we 
find that Margaret, eldest daughter of Turlogh Donn O'Brien, who 
was inaugurated King of Thomond in 1498, married Brian, Chief of 
the O'Eourkes. Prequent mention is made of this Owen in the Annals 
of the Four Masters. For instance, in 1536 : Brian, son of Owen, who 
was son of Tiernan O'Eourke, was styled The O'Eourke ; and in 1540 : 
"the Castle of Leitrim," probably Dromahaire Castle still standing, 
was erected by O'Eourke, Brian, the son of Owen, while a great war 
was waged against him on every side ; and his own son and a party of 
the men of Breffney were at war with him. He finished the Castle in 
a short time, and destroyed a great portion of Moylurg on his oppo- 
nents." And in 1545 : "a great war was between O'Eourke (Brian 
Ballagh, the son of Owen) and his own brother by bis mother's side, 
namely Teige, son of Cathal Oge O'Connor, lord of Sligo." His death 
is recorded in the year 1562 : "O'Eourke (Brian Ballagh, son of Owen), 
the senior of Sil Feargna, and of the race of Aedh Finn, a man whose 
supporters, fosterers, adherents, and tributaries extended from the 
Caladh in the territory of Hymany to the fertile, salmon full Drowes, 
the boundary of the farfamed province of Ulster, and from Granard in 
Teffia, to the strand of Eothuile in Tireragh of the Moy, who had the 
best collection of poems, and who, of all his tribe, had bestowed the 
greatest number of presents for poetical eulogies, died in consequence 
of a fall ; and his son Hugh Gallda was installed in his place." 
The Four Masters make no mention of his wife's death. Archdall, 
in his Monastieon, says she founded the monastery of Crevelea on the 
western side of Lough Gill, opposite the O'Eourkes' castle of Droma- 
haire. This has been the burial-place of the O'Eourke family ever 
since. 
I will only add that I am not without a hope of obtaining these 
two pieces of antiquity, if not as gifts for the library and museum of 
the Academy, at least as deposits, not, I trust, to be soon revoked. 
P. S. — Since the above was written the ms. has been acquired by 
purchase for the Library of the Academy, and is now kept there. 
