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SCANDINAVIAN ANTIQUITIES OF DUBLIN. 151
preserve the watercourse free and clean, "for the
benefit of the City." 1
These minute references to
the Stein and its possessors, become necessary to
show, that anciently it was a well-known place of
considerable extent although not even the name is
now to be found on any of our maps, or any refer-
ence to it in any modern history of the city.
But the document referring to the mill of the
. . Stone of the
Stein points to another fact more intimately connected steyne.
with our subject. It was from the " Long Stone,"
mentioned in this record, that the Stein derived its
Scandinavian name. This remarkable pillar stone
stood not far from the landing place near where
Hawkins-street and Townsend-street now join. From
the rough outline drawing which I possess it does
not appear that the stone was in any manner inscribed,
but it appears to have stood about twelve or fourteen
feet above ground, 2 and it remained standing until the
surrounding
district was laid out for streets and
houses when it was overturned to make room for
them. That it continued to be an object of some
interest, long after the Northmen were expelled from
Dublin, we find from municipal records and from
reference to it when the citizens began to build on
the adjoining strand. We have a lease made by the
City in 1607 to James Wheeler, Dean of Christ
Church, of " void ground at the Long Stone of the
1
Peerage of Ireland by John tion of Petty's Down Survey of the
Lodge, vol. iv., p. 307, 8vo, Dub- Halt' Barony of Rathdown (made
lin, 1789. about A.U. 1655), may be observed
2 This sketch has not been found what is plainly meant to represent
among Mr. Haliday's papers, but the Long Stone at the point above
on the annexed fac-simile of a por- assigned for it.