Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions

250 Old Irish Relio-io7is.
Inlsmurray, of Sligo, overlooking the Atlantic, led him to
say— " We have the elements of all, or nearly all, spirals,
chevrons, lozenges, cups and dots, crosslets, foliage, cable,
wavy and other mouldings, upon cinerary urns, golden or
bronze ornaments and implements, and most notably upon
megalithic structures, associated with the practice of
cremation, all of which are beyond the range of Western
history."
Pre-Christian crosses he identifies at Dowth and New
Grange upon the Boyne, Knockmany of Tyrone, Deer
Park of Fermanagh, Cloverhill of Sligo, Slieve-ha-Calliagh
near Lough Crew of Meath. These are like the heathen
inscriptions in Scotia Minor or Lesser Ireland, which we
know now as Scotland.
Tuath-de-Danaan crosses are associated with Snakes,
and are not likely to be Christian ones. The Tuath ones
resemble those of Buddhist countries. That at Killcullen,
county Kildare, bears the figures of nine Buddhist priests in
oriental garb, and even with a sort of Egyptian beard.
Keane, of Round Tower story, writes— " Gobban-Saer
means the sacred past, or the Freemason sage, one of the
Guabhres or Cabiri, such as you have seen him represented
on the Tuatha-de-Danaan Cross of Clonmacnoise." The
latter was adorned with birds and other animals.
Clonmacnoise was a sacred spot before Christianity came.
It is ten miles from Athlone, in King's Co. The North
Cross, thirteen feet high, bears carvings of priests or
Brehons. The South Cross, twelve feet, has some splendid
figures of birds, deer, &c. There are staves, with bunches
of leaves. A dog appears among the animals. That
would have no meaning with a Christian cross, but the
sacredness of that friend of man in Zend books classes
that cross among those of oriental origin.
The human figure has an eastern look, fully clothed