objects to commemorate events, to mark places of interment, to denote stations and sometimes objects of worship, or, like the hoar-stones in England, to fix boundaries of districts; in each construction they are met with in Scripture. Miss Beaufort, in her excellent" Essay on Early Architecture and Antiquities in Ireland," while she makes particular mention of the above pillar-stone, enumerates various others existing throughout Ireland, and adds her authority to the received opinion, that the reverence unduly paid to these pillars induced the carved stone cross, which is found in so many churchyards, and usually near the most ancient churches. "By cutting down the uncouth stone to a slender cross," she writes, " or, where this was not feasible, by carving upon the pillar the figure of the cross, or bas relievos representing some part of Scripture history, those rude obelisks were consecrated. It appears to have been, amongst the early Christian missionaries, a frequent practice to retain, as it were, the popular veneration, but to change the motive, by investing the object of it with a Christian instead of a Pagan character, hence they were resorted to for Christian worship, as they had been for Pagan idolatry; even now the habit is not quite extinct in some remote parts of the kingdom, as in the island of Cape Clear; close to the ruined church, which is built in the oldest style of mason-work, stands a pillar tower, towards the top of which a cross has been cut, and this regenerated stone is held in great veneration. Pillar stones and crosses are in fact so constantly found in the near neighbourhood of the oldest and most rudely built churches, as to shew the probability that these small early structures were purposely placed in such situations as were previously regarded with superstitious respect, that they might share, or rather win from the Pagan monuments the religious veneration of the people." King enumerates(a) various instances of pillar-stones throughout England, Scotland, and Wales. Even after Christianity became established, many continued (says Borlase, in his history of Cornwall) "to pay their vows, and devote their offerings at the places where these stones were erected, coming thither with lighted torches, and praying for safety and success; and this custom we can trace through the fifth and sixth centuries, even unto the seventh, as appears from the prohibitions of several councils." Martin (b) suggests that there are still some signs of adoration paid to such stones in the Scottish western isles. "In the isle of Barray," he says, "there is a stone about seven feet high, and, when the inhabitants come near it, they take a religious turn round it, according to the ancient Druid custom." THE PARISH OF KILLUMMOD. The acreable contents of this parish are set down as 5,159A. 3R. 38P., whereof 301A. OR. 9P. are co (a) Munimenta Antiqua, vol. i. c. 2. vered, partly by the Shannon, and partly by loughs, of which there are several within it; there is also a quantity of bog and some excellent limestone. The total annual value of the lands of this parish is set down for local taxation at £2,509 19s. 8d. In the ecclesiastical arrangement the rectory is impropriate in Viscount Lorton, without patronage, while the vicarage forms part of the union of Aghrim; the parochial rent-charge, now £63, is payable in moieties to the impropriator and the vicar. In the Roman Catholic division Killummod forms part of the union of Killuken. The population was, in 1821, returned as 1,490, increased in the Census of 1831, to 1,978, of whom only 29 were members of the Established Church, the rest being Roman Catholics. The late Report limits the total population to 1,857 persons. The church of this parish has been long a ruin; it is situated in the townland of Killapoge, near the village of Croghan, and was more anciently called the church of Dromyn; the parochial cemetery surrounds it, and near it, on Knockroe, is another graveyard, with a rath immediately contiguous; there are three other raths on Lisdaly, three on Knockroe, three on Ballinvilla, one on Carrowreagh, three on Killummod, three on Dacklin, &c. On the townland of Canbo are the remains of a castle, an ancient seat of the O'Farrels, and once of great extent, but its materials have been plundered for the erection of humbler structures. A boys' school for this parish was erected, chiefly by a grant from Lord Lorton; it is now maintained by Lord Crofton, and on Sundays is used as a chapel of ease. THE PARISH OF KILLUKEN Is situated on the direct road from Dublin to Sligo, the Shannon being its eastern boundary. It contains 4,831A. OR. 1P., present statute measure, of which 110A. 2R. 10P. are covered with water, the land being valued at £2,596 1s. 5d. per annum. The soil is chiefly pasture, much also arable, and a smaller proportion meadow, with some marshy land, flooded in winter, but in summer used as meadow or pasture; there is also some bog, on the road from Croghan to Carrick, and limestone quarries abound throughout. A very small portion of the town of Carrick is in this parish, the remainder, which is the respectable division, being in the County Leitrim. Ecclesiastically considered, the rectory of this parish is the proper corps of the archdeaconry of Elphin, but, by reason of its smallness, has been episcopally united, as noted at Ardcarne. The rentcharge of this amounts, on present deductions, to £75 18s. 6d., payable exclusively to the incumbent. The glebe house was built in 1816, here the curate of the parish resides, and has a glebe of 13 acres; the venerable incumbent resides in Ardcarne glebe house. In the Roman Catholic division, Killuken is the head of a union, or district, comprising also the parishes of Estersnow and Killummod, and parts of Tumna and Kilcola, which district is also called Croghan and Ballinameen, and contains chapels at Croghan and Drumercool, within this parish. The population of this parish was estimated as 1,790 in the year 1790; in 1821 it was returned as 2,483 persons; yet further increased, on the census of 1831, to 2,948, of which total it was afterwards calculated that only 122 were members of the Established Church, the rest being Roman Catholics. The late Report set down the total as 2,963. The church of Killuken is an old structure, but capable of accommodating 150 persons. The successive incumbents in this Killuken, for there is another parish of the same name in the county, as far as proveable by the First Fruits Books (a), have been as follows: 1615. Vicarage of Killuken; Ralph O'Dunway; church in ruins. 1633. Rectory. of Killuken, and vicarage of the same, belong to the archdeaconry of Elphin; William Hollywell, vicar. 1640. 22nd March.-William Dunerill collated to the vicarages of Killuken and Kilcooley, vacant by the death of William Hollywell. 1700. 24th July.-Peter Mahon collated to the archdeaconry of Elphin, and vicarages of Killuken and Tumna. (a) It is to be regretted, that the charges for searching these, and every other class of documents, in the Record Office of Dublin, are so heavy, as to limit legal, and utterly to preclude literary inquiry. The same complaint is, indeed, applicable to all such repositories in Dublin, with the exception of the Registry Office. |