CITY OF LONDONDERRY. 
present not more than 2 feet high, are without mortar. The antiquity of this building is 
however, extremely doubtful, as its angular form indicates a much more recent age thai° the 
works by which it is inclosed and the probability is that it was erected for a chapel during 
the severe administration of the penal laws, to which purpose it was certainly appropriated 
until about forty years since, when a chapel was erected at Burt. There are no other vestiges 
of habitations, either within the cashel or its external ramparts. Between the third and 
fourth walls there is a spring well, which, when discovered a few years back, was covered 
with a large stone; and between the second and third walls there is a small mound, having 
around it a circle of ten large stones, laid horizontally, and converging to a centre. This 
mound was recently opened, but nothing was discovered in it that would throw light on the 
purpose of its erection. The space inclosed by the outer rampart is 5 acres. 
If a more minute and detailed account of this interesting ruin has been gone into than its 
apparent importance would seem to warrant, the necessity for this will be manifest when it 
shall be shown—that the Grianan of Ely was one of the most remarkable and important works 
of its kind ever erected by the ancient Irish,—and the palace of the northern Irish kin°\s 
from the earliest period of historic tradition down to the close of the 12th century_and that, 
consequently, such careful examination of its vestiges as should afford a clear idea of its 
original foim, stiucture, and extent, would give the most accurate and conclusive evidence, 
now attainable, of the exact amount of skill in the art of building possessed by the ancient 
Irish. 
It has, indeed, been supposed by Col. Blacker, that this curious remain of antiquity 
was erected as a Temple of the Sun—a conjecture which he rests on the etymology of its 
name Grianan, which as he states, does literally mean “ the place of the Sun” “ or apper¬ 
taining to the Sun. But etymology is at best but a very uncertain foundation for historical 
hypothesis; and the habit so generally indulged in by Irish Antiquaries of drawing positive con¬ 
clusions from etymological con jectures has done more to retard than advance the knowledge of 
the history and antiquities of the country. 
That the word Grianan was ever applied to denote a temple of the sun, or a temple of 
any kind, no authority ,has been adduced, or found; but there are abundant evidences that it 
was constantly used in a figurative sense, to signify a distinguished residence, or a royal pa¬ 
lace. It is thus explained by 0 Reilly, “ j^pianan, a summer-house, a walk, arched or covered 
over on a hill for a commodious prospect, a royal seat.” O’Brien, an earlier and better 
authority, also explains it as a “royal seat;” and gives as an illustration the name of the 
very palace in question—J5P lan “ n O 1 I 15 the Royal House of O’Neill in Ulster. O’Flaherty, 
and M'Firbis, without explaining the word, use it to express a royal habitation. “ Laclitna 
Kenedei Patris successor ires annos, a quo Grianan Laclitna apud Creigleith.” Thus also 
Keating. The third house which was at Tara, was called Grianan na n-ingean, [jglpianan na n- 
injjean,] where the queens of the provincial kings used to sit. Colgan also observes, that 
places were called Grianans from the beauty of their situation, and renders it Terra Solaris 
and Solarium ; and Cormac Mac Cuillenan, a writer of the 9th century, and superior as an 
authority to all the preceding, uses the words in a similar sense in his Etymological Glossary, 
in explanation of the word Teamhair, now Tara. 
“Teamhair, corrupted from the Greek conspicio, Teamhuir, then, everyplace where 
there is held a meeting of the learned, both in the plain and in the house, unde dicitur , Team- 
hair na ttjaitiie, i. e. a hill, and Teamhair an toighe, i. e. the Teamhair of the house, by 
which is meant A Grianan, or Palace on a hill.” 
That the learned king and archbishop of Munster, in his derivation of this and other 
Irish words from the Greek, was not led by the ignis fatuus of etymology as far into the region 
of fanciful conjecture as any of his modern followers in this uncertain science, it is by no means 
insinuated. But that the word Grianan, though often topographically applied to merely beau¬ 
tiful localities.—“ loca amoenissima,” as Colgan phrases it, was also generally used to signify a 
palace, or distinguished residence, in such beautiful and sunny situation, may be considered cer¬ 
tain from the authorities now given, to which, if further evidences were necessary, numerous 
examples could be added from the ancient Irish poems, and romantic tales, of which the follow¬ 
ing rann , (or quatrain), quoted by the Four Masters in their Annals, at the year 1088, may serve 
as an instance. 
Cacalan an cpabaio coip 
5a ppuc parhaio. 5a peanoip 
E op neam ip in ^jpianan 
uib hi peil Ciapdin Saijjpe. 
Cathalan, of true piety. 
Was tranquil, sage, and senior : 
He passed to Heaven—to the bright palace [Grianan] 
On the festival of Kieran of Saiger.” 
