Ogam Inscriptions in Ireland, Scotland, and ... - House of Dubhros

IN IRELAND, WALES, AND SCOTLAND. 7ened description.I would but call attention to the sculpturing MEATH,of a slab from New Grange, which it will be seen offers in itsto the Bani monument. Newgeneral design a great similarityThere are the same flowing zig-zags and concentric circles, ^but none of the wilder grotesques, either of the Bani stone orof the intermediate group. It would be hard to conceive ofanything phonetic lying hid under these forms. One device,however, does exist on the headstone of the western cell atNew Grange, which certainly has a monogrammatic and insome degree an Oghamic appearance. It will recall veryvividly the discontinuous cross lines of the Tyvoria example.It can hardly be but that, after what has been seen, somesystematic examination of these devices on the Irish Paganmonuments of Tyrone and Meath will be undertaken bycompetent observers, who may be able to say definitivelywhether these are merely insensible ornamentation or phoneticelements fantastically disguised. Any traces Meath may retainare, I believe, illegible, or quasi Oghamic.97. Neither does Dublin, save in one illegible example at DUBLIN.Portmarnock, afford local examples. Those assembled at the PortmnmRoyal Irish Academy have been in part, and will be, for the M ^remainder, noticed in connection with their places of origin,so far as these can now be ascertained. There are two ofthem which I have been unable to ascertain whence theycome, further than that I believe them to be from Kerry,probably sent up by Mr. Hitchcock. Lest this suppositionshould be erroneous, I think it better to notice them here.The first presents another example of the name Gusacht,already noticed it is an old and well-known;name in Irishhagiology. The first bishop of Ardagh was Gusact son ofMilchu, Saint Patrick's pagan bondmaster. The inscriptionis well preserved and complete. Its difficulties arise fromthe absence of the usual Maqi, or perhaps from the absenceof Maqi in its usual spellingThe word-division will depend on whether Gosucti be takenas the genitive, or Gosucteas, which is more in accordance&c.