saint's bed; it is carried underground for nearly 200 yards, emerging at and forming the well; then, turning sharply by the south wall of the graveyard, it finally empties itself into the bog of Shower. One of the legends told concerning the well is that long ago it was situated close by the stone known as St. Commaneth's Bed, but that some cattle having been accidentally allowed to sully its waters, the well in a single night moved down to its present site. Two of the traditional trout said to frequent holy wells in Ireland are supposed to be here. Over the well, completely shading its waters, are four ancient trees-one sallow, one whitethorn, and two ash. Those two last are in reality one enormous tree, which, near the lower part of the trunk, is divided into two, and its branches and the hollow by the well are covered with rags and votive offerings of every description, deposited by pilgrims who have made their rounds.

The summer of 1902 was exceptionally dry in North Tipperary, the month of August being phenomenally so. Springs, wells, and streams that in living memory had never been known to do so, ran dry; and St. Commaneth's Well formed no exception to the general rule, for it must be recorded that we failed to find even one drop of water within its usually brimming basin.

The rounds practised here are seven in number. Having taken seven pebbles from the stream running from the well, and having repeated the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary!, Creed, and Gloria, the pilgrim throws one of the pebbles back into the brook, and proceeds to walk round the well. Following the course of the water for a time "sunwards," through the field south of the stream, he crosses it by a small bridge and enters the graveyard by a gate at the extremity of the south wall. Proceeding along a well-worn pathway by its north and east sides, he quits its precincts by a stile, which brings him to the well again, where he kneels and prays, and so on, until the appointed number of rounds are performed. While Mr. Westropp and I were in the cemetery, a country woman and two children " were making their rounds."

ST. COMMANETH'S BED.

Close by the spot where the water of the stream disappears for a space under ground rests the traditional bed of the saint, lying north of the stream, and nearer to the road than the graveyard and well. It is a large irregular block of brownish sandstone, 8 feet long, and 4 feet 9 inches wide, extreme measurements, and stands about 2 to 3 feet high. The highest end is to the west, and here is a large and deep bullaun. To the west of this is a shallow, dish-like bullaun, and there are traces of two or more basins. Two sets of scorings are to be found on the stone; that nearer the top consists of six irregular broad strokes, not ogamic in character, while the set lower down consists of four slight These markings are reputed to represent the impressions of the

scores.

saint's ribs and hands. It seems strange that in the Ordnance Survey letter quoted above, descriptive of the remains in this parish, O'Donovan omits mentioning the stone known as St. Commaneth's Bed.

About a mile south-west of St. Commaneth's graveyard, in the townland of Cragg, stands a square castle, which measures outside 31 feet north and south, 27 feet east and west. Its walls are about 6 feet

6 inches thick, and it stands 35 feet in height. Two of its floors rested on stone arches, and a spiral staircase leads to the top in the south-west corner. The doorway, semicircular at top, is placed on the south side, and the windows appear to have been quadrangular. O'Donovan states that tradition ascribes the erection of Cragg Castle to the family of O'Mulryan. That the tradition was perfectly accurate is shown by a Fiant of Queen Elizabeth dated in 1591 (No. 5697), which mentions Anthony oge O'Mullryan of Cragg; as well as by a Chancery Inquisition, taken in 1624, which finds that Cornelius, otherwise Conogher, O'Mulryan was at his death in 1611 seized in fee of Craig; he also held Ballym Keogh, close by. Thomas Dineley1 during his visit to Ireland,

See Extracts from his Journal, edited by E. P. Shirley. Journal, vol. ix.,

p. 198.

in or about 1681, passed Cragg Castle in journeying from Limerick through Caherconlish to O'Brien's-bridge. Dineley calls the place "Cragg Owhny, in the county palatine of Tipperary," which he says means Rock Owhny, adding that it was a principal seat of the Ryans, but at the time of his visit it was in the hands of Richard Lee, Esq.

The castle is still standing in good preservation on a rock, very precipitous on its south-eastern side. The accompanying view, taken from a woodcut illustrating Dineley's Tour, shows the building as it stood 220 years ago.

KNOCKANNANEEN (BIRDHILL) Castle.

(From a Sketch by Thomas Dineley, 1681.)

KNOCKANNANEEN.

Dineley continued his journey from Cragg to O'Brien's-bridge by way of Knockannaneen, which he judged to be a small mile distant. He informs us that this name means in English the hill of the white bird,' and that the estate and castle of the name belonged to Sheldon, Esq. The surrounding lands, including the townland of Knockannaneen, had been forfeited in the rebellion of 1641 by Connor O'Brien, one of the Mac I Brien Arra family, and they were granted, under the Act of Settlement, to Lieutenant William Sheldon. These lands, long known as Birdhill, now form portion of the property of Mr. Twiss, of Birdhill House.

Two views of the castle of Knockannaneen are given in Dineley's Tour, and are reproduced here. Not a trace of this castle is now visible,

but old men point out its site at the back of Birdhill House; and Mr. Martin Hassett, of Birdhill, informed me that his father had seen portion of the foundations of the old castle exposed to view when engaged in some works which were being carried out by the late Mr. George Twiss in what are now the stables.

superintending

A pedigree of the Mac I Brien Arra clan mentions this castle. It states that "Torlogh (Mac I Brien Arra) divided the territory among his sons in manner following: he left the lordship or captainship to his son Murtagh, surnamed the Bishop; to his son Torlogh Carrach he left Bealatha (now Ballina) and Cnocan-an-ein-fhinn (now Birdhill), two good castles, with the lands belonging to them. To Teige na Buille, his third son, the castle of Kilcolman and its lands; to Moragh-na-dtuagh the castle of Tuath aesa greine, with its lands; and to his son and heir Murtagh (above) he left Baile-an chasleain (now Castletown), the hereditary mansion of the family, and also the castle of Moin ruadh (Monroe), Pallis and Cathair Conchubhair, with their lands. This was the third division made of the territory of Arra, since Donell, son of Brian roe (O'Brien), first settled in it.

3

The above-named Torlogh, chief of his name, flourished in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, dying in 1601. He is frequently mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters and in the State Papers, which latter show him to have been a faithful subject of the Queen.

His son, Murtagh (stated above to have been surnamed the Bishop), was appointed custos of the See of Killaloe in 1570, but not being sufficiently old, he was not consecrated as bishop until 1576. He resigned

1 MS. H. 1. 7, Library T.C.D.

2 Beal-atha-na Borumha. Fragments of this castle are to be seen on a low rock, 40 feet from Killaloe bridge.

3 Caher Connor is an island in Lough Derg, opposite Derry demesne, 23 miles north of Killaloe.