Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions

246 Old Irish Religions.
When he drove the demons into the sea at Croagh Patrick,
Mayo, he flung after them his bell. It is not certain
whether this was the Bearnan Brighde or the DubJi-diiaibseach.
O' Donovan explains the occasion—" According to
all the Lives of the Irish apostle, he remained for forty
days and forty nights on this lofty mountain, which was
then infested by malignant demons, who opposed his
progress in preaching the gospel in this dreary region ;
but whom he drove thence headlong into the sea." This
was effectually done by means of his bell.
Another account is that a bell was brought down for St.
Patrick by angels from heaven, when a spring gushed forth
at the place. He scared the demons away by it, aided by
blows, and not by the mere ringing.
The shrines of these cherished bells have always drawn
forth much admiration. Miss Stokes, in her beautiful
work on Early Christian Art in Ireland, said, " Such covers
or shrines for bells seem to be unknown to any other
branch of the Christian Church."
Among other Irish bells may be mentioned one with a
very handsome border.
This was twelve inches high, nine
broad, and nine and a half deep. There were the Clog
Beannaighthe, the Clogdiibh, the Cnmaseach MacAntils of
the Archbishop of Armagh, the Donmragh of Fenagh, the
gapped bell of St. Culann, the golden bell of St. Sevan,
the bronze one given by St. Patrick to the Bishop of
Cloghir, the magnificent bronzed one with gold filagree of
exquisite workmanship, and the bells of St. Ruadhan, St.
Mura, St. Mogue, or Maidoc, &c., &c.
The Dublin Museum has bells of St. Columba, which
had the same virtue as those of St. Patrick in the expulsion
of demons, and as the heathen Burmese still relate of their
own holy bells. Bells were brought from Rome by St.
Patrick, St. Columba, and St. Mungo or Kentigern, of