The Irish standard., 1907-04-06
Rejects the Former Claims That They Were
Erected in the Days Of Paganism in
the Emerald Isle.
Differs With Wisconsin Writer on MANY
Points and Cites Authorities For
His Contention.

John I. Mullaney Of Dubuque, Iowa.
in letter to the Davenport Catholic
Messenger, takes exception to the ar
ticle written for the Sentinel Of Chip
pewa Falls, by the Hon. Arthur Cough,
o few weeks ago. He writes:
The article was graphically writ
ten and intensely interesting but
differ from the writer in his conclu-
sion that the round towers and some
of the Celtic" crosses were erected
by Pagans before the Christian era.
Judge Cough has fallen into the error
to which archaeologists are prone, and
the tendency to which they have
learned to guard against-the ascrib-
ing Of a great antiquity to the ruins
they examine.
When was young shared the same
error in relation to the round towers.
I was captivated by the ringing rhyme
of Denis Florence Mccarthy on "The
Pillar Towers Of Ireland" Two verses
especially caught my boyish fancy:
"The pillar towers of Ireland, how
wondrously they stand,
BY the lakes and rushing rivers through
the valleys of our land;
In mystic file throughout the isle, they
lift their heads sublime
These grey old pillar temples-.hese
conquerers Of Time!
Here blazed the sacred five and when
the sun was gone,
AS a star from afar to the traveller it
shone;
And the warm blood of the victim
have these grey old temples
drunk
And the death song of the Druid and
the matin of the Monk.
And firmly believe that these tow
ers were relics of the Fire Worshipers.
But investigation of the subject and
especially the reading of George Pet
rie's remarkable work on "The Origin
and Uses of the Round Towers Of Ire
land" convinced me that these towers
are of Christian origin.
This work embodying the results of
nowned and professional architect and
archaeologist, of all of the existing
monuments of Ireland, and the exami-
nation Of the most ancient manu-
scripts has been pronounced to be
"the most learned, the most exact and
the most important ever published
! Irish nation" 1 think the author Sue
cessfully established his propositions:
1. That the towers are of Chris
tian and ecclesiastical origin.
2. That they were sesigned to an
swer at least two-fold use, namely,
TO serve as belfries, and as keeps.
places Of strength, in which the sacred
utensils, books. relics and other valu-
able, were deposited, and into which
the ecclesiastics to whom they be-
longed could retire for security in case
of sudden attack.
8. That they were probably also
used when occasion required as beacons
and watch towers.
Some of the reasons for the above
conclusions in short are:
That the Irish ecclesiastics had from
very early period, in connection with
their Cathedral and Abbey churches.
campaniles or deatched belfries, called
in the Irish Annals and other ancient
authorities by the term Cloictheach
"House of Bell'
That the Round Towers are never
found unconnected with ancient &C.
clesiastical foundations, and that where
the Irish language is spoken they are
designated by the same term, "Cloict-
heach."
That the towers exhibit no features
o peculiarities not equally found in