Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

MEA
The most remarkable relics of antiquity of the
earliest ages are two ancient round towers, one at Kells,
and another in the churchyard of Donoughmore near
Navan. At New Grange, near Slane, is a very remark-
able tumulus, in which is an artificial cavern of some
extent and singular construction. Near Dowth are a
Druidical circle and the remains of a cromlech. Ves-
tiges of Danish monuments are very numerous; the
most remarkable is a rath near Taragh, supposed to
have been the residence of the Danish king, Turgesius;
the raths of Odder, Rameven and Ringlestown, are in
the same neighbourhood: they have all been planted.
Six of the ancient instruments called corabasnas were
found by persons digging in a park near Slane, in 1781:
the corabasna was of a complex form, consisting of two
circular plates of brass connected by a spiral wire, which
produced a jingling noise when the plates were struck
by the fingers; it was used for the purpose of keeping
time. Two splendid torques of pure gold were found
near Taragh, in 1813, and are now in the possession of
the Duke of Sussex. Bracelets or collars, being solid
rings of pure gold of very ancient and rude workman-
ship, were found near Trimleston Castle, in 1833; the
largest weighed 12 ounces avoirdupois. The ruins of
abbeys, priories, convents, and other monastic edifices,
are numerous through every part of the county, and
still more numerous are the names of others now only
discoverable by some local name, or traceable in
historic records. The ruins of the old monastery of
Duleek, said to be the first monastic edifice built of
stone and mortar in Ireland, presents some curious and
extraordinary traces of rude architecture. At Bective
are extensive and picturesque ruins of the wealthy
abbey of that name; at Clonard was an abbey of Canons
Regular, a convent, and also a cathedral, but nothing
now remains except the font of the latter; at Colpe,
Newtown, Slane, and Trim, were also abbeys of Canons
Regular, all now in ruins; at Killeen and Kilmainham
Wood were commanderies of Knights Hospitallers; at
Ratoath and Skreen were priories of the Augustinian
Eremites; at Eirk, near Slane, was an hermitage; at
Trim a priory of Crutched friars; on the Holy or
Church island, in Lough Sheelin, was an abbey of Grey
friars; Kilmainham-beg and Teltown belonged to the
Dominicans; all have long since fallen into ruins.
The monasteries of which no ruins remain are those
of Ardbraccan, Ardceath, Ardmulchan, Ardsallagh, Ath-
boy, Ballybogan, Beaumore near Colpe, Beaubeg, Cal-
liagh, Cloonmanan, Disert-tola, Donaghmore, Donney-
carney near Colpe, Donoughpatrick, a priory of the
Virgin Mary and the Magdalen Hospital at Duleek;
abbeys at Dunshaughlin, and Indenen near Slane; a
house of Regular Canons, an hospital of St. John the
Baptist, and a chantry, all at Kells; a house of Regular
Canons and a nunnery at Killeen; an abbey at Navan,
on the site of which the cavalry barrack is now built;
priories at Odder and Rosse, south of Taragh; an
abbey of Regular Canons and a chantry at Skreen; a
monastery of Grey Friars, on the site of which the
sessions-house at Trim stands; a nunnery, a Greek
church, and a chantry at Trim; Dominican friaries at
Kilberry, Lismullen, and Dunshaughlin; besides several
others now existing only in name. Columbkill’s house,
a stone-roofed cell, said to be one of the oldest stone-
built houses in Ireland, is still traceable at Kells; in
363
MEA
which town there are also several stone crosses, one in
particular of beautiful workmanship. In the cemetery
at Castlekieran, in which are the ruins of a small church,
is also a very fine stone cross richly sculptured.
The county also retains many remains of its ancient
military structures, of which the most celebrated in the
records of remote antiquity is Taragh, already noticed.
Whatever may have been its ancient splendour, as set
forth in the poetry of the native bards and in the chroni-
cles of annalists, little now is discoverable corresponding
with their highly wrought descriptions. Considerable
remains of circular earthworks still exist, but of the
palaces and places of scientific study said to have been
situated here, there are no traces. The oldest fortress
upon record erected after the arrival of the English was
that of Kells, built by de Lacy, but of which there are
now no vestiges: the same nobleman built the castles of
Clonard, Kilieen, and Delvin; and the erection of Trim
castle is attributed by some to him, but it is more
generally thought to have been raised about the year
1220 by one of the Pypart family: its extent and
strength, as indicated by its ruins even at the present
day, prove that it was designed to be a position of
primary importance for the defence of the palatinate;
and from the date of its erection to the termination of
the war of King William III., its destinies are inter-
woven with many of the historical events of the times:
the ruins overhang the Boyne, presenting an aspect of
much grandeur. The other ancient castles of which the
ruins are still considerable were those of Scurlogstown,
Dunmoe, Athlumney, and Asigh. Liscartin and Ath-
carne castles have been fitted up as residences; and
several other ancient castles have been preserved by
being converted into mansion-houses, among the finest
of which is Slane, the property of Marquess Conyng-
ham, and celebrated as being the abode of Geo. IV.
during the greater part of his stay in Ireland in 1821.
Contiguous to it, but on the other side of the Boyne, is
Beaupark, the modern and elegant seat of Gustavus
Lambert, Esq.: the two demesnes are so connected in
their locality that each enjoys the full benefit of the
scenic beauties peculiar to the other. The modern
mansions of the nobility and gentry are noticed in the
description of the parishes in which they are respectively
situated. The residences of the gentry of small landed
property and of the beneficed clergy are numerous and
indicative of a high state of improvement. Until of
late years the houses of the proprietors and of the cul-
tivators of the soil exhibited a more marked disparity
than could be seen in any other part of Ireland; the
tenements of the working farmers who hold from 20
to 100 acres presented an appearance of great wretched-
ness, and the cabins of the labourers or cottiers were
still more deficient of comfort; but this characteristic,
though not entirely removed, has been considerably
diminished by the improvement made in the dwellings.
The lower classes suffer much from the want of fuel,
which, as already remarked, is very scarce in many
parts, and the low rates of wages prevent the possibility
of providing a stock of sea coal to meet the exigencies
of winter. Yet the peasantry in general are endowed
with a disposition so well inclined to look on the bright
points of the prospect before them, that under the de-
pressing difficulties through which they have to struggle
during life, they enjoy every momentary festivity with
3A2