The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-07-03
UPON THE FACE OF ERIN.
ANTIQUITIES TRACED BY TOURIST.
ofr- Wakeman's Fourth Letter Prom Ire
land-PaEan sePuIchraI Eenains-Crom-
loChs, Mounds, Cairns. Raths and
Duus-yV one; eff a-t.Iinders.

ARMAGH. Ireland. June I7.-CSpecial. J
At the sides OF Irish roads are found every
few miles walled compartments, open to
the highway. called ''stone-pockets" for
storing broken stone required from time
to time in road repairs. Numberless
times in my tranps through Ireland L
have come to these and found an old pen
sioner breaking stone, as he had done
bali his life at shilling q day. Many
CHEEKY chat have these stone-bTeakers and
j had together; and one, on the highway
between Galway and 0ughterard. with
whom 1 one day divided the scant lunch
IN my knap-sack, felt he must make an
effort to interest and recompense me for
- civility- The royal Irish en-
Frs have a surveyors mark or
-. which is chiseled into stone if
= such be found at angles of survey. 1t is
called the crows foo" or "broad arrow, "
and consists of a tinv circle from which
rsdiats, like the sticks of fan, three
arrowlike indentaiiUns. Bringing me to
zone OF these with great dignity, the old
man withdrew his hat, and, pointing to
the DIOdu dAONJ oShCu WIN IN N'0A'"
solemnity,
Dye mind that ?"
i do, said |.
Thin prints ?" said he.
The same, said |.
Thin, sor'-and here the old man
seemed a foot taller for the momentous
revelation upon his lips-"thim, sor, wor
the tread of the aigle before the food"
This forgivable phantasy OF the old stone
breaker was but an echo of the conscious
ness OF the surprising age traced incount-
less Wavs upon the face of Erin, among
even the most ignorant of the peasantry;
for not half mile from where we stood,
stretching away toward the black moors
OF lar Connaught, covering the sides OF the
valley sweeping past the grim ruin OF
Aupnanure, and showing gray and white
toward the cleaning waters of Tough
Corrib, were innumerable cromlechs and
cairns, their surrounding little and great
circles composed OF druidic stones OF all
sizes and shapes. Here, 1000. yes, per
baps 5000 and /, 900 years before we stood
there, gathered pagan hosts to witness
druidic rites, and stand In awe before the
weird spells and mysteries their incanta-
tons evoked. For myself / originally
had no faith in Irish antiquities. And l
know that is the general feeling OF icono-
elastic Americans. But for nearly whole
year every day my eyes had opened upon
some new and astounding monument
10 prehistoric peoples in Ireland; and my
only apology Tor the temerity in SO hum
bic reference to those antiquities as can
only come within the bounds of a news
paper article, when the subject has occu-
pied the attention of learned societies,
psychologists and antiquarians for cen
turtles, is that | have seen these antlqul-
ties myself, and perhaps greater number
of all classes OF them than any single per-
son who ever wrote of them; and also be-
cause | would be glad if / could influence
some of the thousands who annually visit
continental Europe in search of like
study. to turn aside from the worn,
musty ways, for a season of wondrous
winsomeness and delight, in land where
every square mile possesses the sweetest
and noblest examples of scenery, and the
richest and most impressive antiquarian
remains possible to come upon anywhere
else in the whole wide world.
In a broad sense the prehistoric antiq-
mites of ireland comprise pagan sepul-
chra remains and military monuments.
The former consist of cromlechs, pillar
stones. ogham stones and sepulchral
mounds and cairns The latter only fur
nish raths and duns. Arch9ologists have
for centuries disputed over the applica-
ton OF the word cromleCh. Some believe
it signifies ''the stone of Crom," deity
Of the Irish druids representing fate; 9th
ers, that it is derived from "Crom," cir
Gle and Tech, a stone; and still others,
believe it derived from "Crom liagh," an
Gent Briton and Irish for a crooked stone,
so adjusted 10 permit the blood Of sacriti-
Cial victims ito run off freely" However
this NAV be, 226 pagan monumental re-
mains. called cromlechs, may be found in
Ireland, Isl OF which l have personally
inspected. Notwithstanding the tremen-
dous research which archaologists have
devoted to the subject, no definite conclu-
sion as to their origin and use has been
reached The concensus of opinion
points TO one OF two uses, that OF pagan
saCrihcial tables, or affairs, for dTuldlc
rites, or simply as a pagan form of sepul-
cher and monument for the dead. The
curious fact exists, however, that the pre-
vaiiing idea involved in local names for
cromlechs. is that of bed or final rest
ing-place. Nor has the question been
disposed of whether they were originally
covered with earth, or built precisely as
they stand to-day. Their form, however,
seldom varies. Three or more huge
stones from six to ten feet high, stood
EuQNlsE OI eltltW4ccs lIOlu SupDOIl1Ik pll-
lars. Upon these is laid another mon
strous stone. The whole forms a rude
half-open stone chamber. In many have
been found entire skeletons and perfectly
preserved calcined bones. These
cromlechs are scattered indiscrimin-
ately over ireland, ifty-6ve being
found in Leinster, fOrty-six in
Ulster, eighty-two in Connaught, and for
ty-three in Munster. The largest of these
interesting remains is probably that near
the old church of Kilteran, about seven
.es from Dublin, on the Enniskerry
- The covering stone of this huge
~ Ach is six and one-half feet thick
&C ,vntsen in breadth, and upward of
twenty-three feet long. l found a much
smaller, though far more perfect, example
in county Down, near the public road, but
"a half mile west of the little village Of
Broadstone. The cap-stone is a perfectly
fat slab. Formerly this cromlech was
covered bv earth. This was recently re-
moved and a cinerary urn was discovered
within the structure. Other splendid spec
linens may be found at Carrowmore,
county Sligo, at Ballygilbert, and on
Island Magee, in county Antrim.
The pillar and Ogham stones which
have been discovered IN various parts Of
Ireland are now regarded without dissent
as monuments to the pagan dead. Their
age is variously placed at from one nun
dred 70 one thousand years behind the
Il