[From List of Manx Antiquities, 1930]

KIRK PATRICK.

Pre-Christian Remains.

1, 2, 3. Cairns on Peel Hill. formerly three, now two, of which one is still unopened. At a point about 266 yds. N.W. of the river at the highest point of Spring-tides. Urns found, O.S. IX/6

4. Tumulus on Ballarnoore, about 70 yds. s.w. of the old house. OS. IX/l0

5. Remains of Cairn, the Lhaggan, Glen Mooar. About 270 yds. S.S.E. of Ballacreggan house. O.S. XII/2

6. Ballelby. Remains of Tumulus at the head of Glen Callan, about ½-mile E. of the house. This may be the one referred to by Oswald, Mx. Soc. v, 77, who says : ‘In a mound of earth, Ballelby, opened about 1859, a complete human skeleton, with halbert or battle-axe and basket-handled Sword, in a stone coffin.’ O.S. XII/1

7. Cairn about ½ -mile E.S.E. of Ballacain. Cairn mcoar Hutchin, Ballahutchin.—J.J.K., Add. p. 629. O.S. XII/1

8. Cairn,Dalby mountain (Southern face)at 117yds. above the highroad where it enters on the moorlands. O.S. XII/6

Mr. Kneen also mentions the names Cam tolta (on Creggan mooar) and Cam y chrock, p. 334 and p. 355, gives Knock kishty, which suggests a Tumulus containing a Cist.

Early Settlements.

A Hut-circle, Ballaquane, traceable till about 1880, was to be seen in the middle of the Dalby road above Glen Meaye about 150 yds. from the junction of the ancient footpath, called Nathan, from the Glen Meaye mill. The Circle was about 20 ft in diam. Y.L.M. i, 105. OS. IX/14

Mr. C. H. Cowley thinks there was a settlement at the Cross Vein Mine, S. Barrule, where flint implements have been found. O.S. XIII3

Earthworks.

1. Fort on Peel hill, Beinn buigh, or Cronk y caitnys, i.e. Hill of the common, as formerly called (J.J.K, 331, 337). This was at a point about 183 yds. S. of the Castle, built in 1648 on the advice of Sir Arthur Ashton to command the Castle. Blundell, Mx. Soc. xxv, p. 92. OS. IX/2

2. Fort, Boirane, Ballelby. On the coast, about 333 yds. N.E. of Dalby Point. O.S. XII/1

3. Fort, Boirane, Creg lea. On the coast, about 267 yds. w. of Creglea house and ½ mile N. of Niarbyl. O.S. XII/1

Peel Castle. Inis Patraic, on which the Castle stands, is recorded to have been plundered and burnt in 798, when they carried off the Shrine of Dachonna. In the Manx Museum is to be seen the facsimile of what may have been this very Shrine (taken from the original which is now in the National Museum, Copenhagen). Ruins of the Round Tower, S. Patrick’s Church, Cathedral, Castle walls and various buildings mentioned in the Guide, have been described and published in Ecclesiastical Antiquities of the Isle of Man, Petit, 1846; Cumming, History, 1848, and Guide,1861; Oswald’s Vestigia, Mx. Soc. V, 1860; and Arch. Sur., 1910. There was some destruction early in the 19th century when a fortress was constructed within the Castle precincts. O.S. IX/2

Keeills and Chapels.

These are described, with Plans and Illustrations, in the First Report of the Archaeological Survey, 1909.

1. Ruins of S. Patrick’s Church with its Round Tower, Chapels and Cathedral. O.S. IX/2

2. Keeill Crore, or Crogh, i.e. Cruimthir, priests. Site of Ch. Treen of Balymore, formerly a part of the Bishop’s Barony. About 164 yds. S.E. of the Parish Church. O.S. IX/l0

3. Site of Ch. and B.G. on Ballabrooie, Bishop’s Barony. Nearly ½ mile S. of Ballaquayle house at head of stream. Graves found, O.S. IX11

4. Site of Ch. and B.G., Treen of Gordon. By stream below the highroad, about 160 yds. S.E. of house. Oswald, Mx. Soc. V., p. 79, records ‘graves seen in the burial-ground adjoining.’ O S. IX/14

5. Site of Ch. and remains of B.G., Treen of Raby, nearly ½ mile N.W. of house. Lintel graves found with human remains. The cemetery measured 40 yds. by 64 yds.; the Chapel (interior), 17 ft. by 9 ft. 6 ins. The foundation stones were removed in 1905 O.S. IX/13

6. Keeill Vout. Foundations of Ch. (15 ft. by 8-9 ft.); lintel graves. On a small triangular easement by the side of the old road from the Hope at Kenaa to Foxdale. About a furlong E. of Ballagarman house ; referred to by Oswald as Keeill Vout, a name no longer remembered. Intack. O.S. IX/16

7. Crosh Pharlane, Ballachrinlc. Barony of Bangor and Sabal. Site of Ch. now levelled and ploughed over. Mx. Soc. v, 79. O.S. IX/13

8. Keeiil Woirrey. Foundations of Ch. with B.G. about an acre in extent. Kerrowdhoo, Glen Needle; Treen of Arnicarnigan. Lintel graves, many within the walls of the Chapel O.S. XII/3

9. Ruins of Keeill Woirrey, the Laggan, Glen Mooar. Barony of Bangor and Sabal; 183 yds. E.S.E of Ballacreggan house. O.S. XII/2

10. Keeill yn Chiarn. Mr. Kneen tells us that the original name, of which the present is a translation, was Maloney, which would derive from Ir. Maol Dhomhnaigh, i.e., devotee of the Doonagh or House of the Lord, the oldest Celtic term for Church (Place Names, p. 354). On Ballelby, Barony of Bangor and Sabal. Site of Ch. and B.G. about 200 yds. N.W. of house. An early Cross-slab, 49, found here is now set up against the gable of a barn at the house. O.S. XII/1

11. Site of Ch. with B.G., Ballameanagh, Treen of Arnicarnigan, N.W. of Foxdale. Graves found. Mx. Soc. V. 79, records ‘walls two feet high’, now ploughed over. O.S. XII/4

12. Ruins of Ch. and B.G., Lag ny Keeilley. Intack. Ennyn mooar, at the foot of Cronk ny Irree Laa. SeveralCross-slabs and many lintel graves found. Leading to the Keeill is the ancient track-way from Eairy Cushlin. O.S. XII/13

Fair Grounds.

1. On S. Patrick’s isle, 17 March, 1732—42; the fair transferred to S. John’s, 1835. Proc. iii, p. 63.

2. In the parish, 28 March, i.e. S. Patrick’s day, N.S., probably at Glen Keeill Crore, recorded by Feltham in 1797. Proc. iii. p. 63.

Sacred or Healing Wells.

1. S. Patrick’s Well, Chibbyr noo Pharick, also called Chibbyr Shecant and Chibbyr yn argid. On the western slope of Peel Hill, by the footpath at 217 yds. W.N.W. of Corrin’s tower. O.S. IX/6

2. There was a Well supposed to have been used for sacred purposes in Magher y Rhullic, Raby. O.S. IX/13

3. Chibbyr Unney, Ronan’s Well, on the Dalby road, is given by Mr. Kneen, p. 335. O.S. XII

4. Chibbyr y vashtee, by the old trackway above Lag ny Keeilley close to the point from which the Keeill may be seen. This was considered as good for consumption. O.S. XI 1/9

5, 6. Mr. Gill also mentions Chibbyr ny creg, a rock-basin under Creg Ushtey, Ballelby; and Chibbyr pooyl sallagh, on N.E. slope of Cronk ny Irree laa: both of them as good for sore eyes— W.W.G. pp. 29, 53. O.S. XII/9

Watch and Ward Stations.

The Night Watch was kept at Fheustal, i.e. Hafra-stair, He-goat precipice.—J.J.K., p. 351. In the Castle Rushen Papers, however, is a list of ‘Day and Night Watches with the names of every Parish and Place where the Watches are kept’, dated 1627. In this we find 'Port for Night Watch’ given as ‘Orestell,’ a name not now remembered. The ‘Hill for the Day Watch’: Knockaloe.’

Loose Relics.

In 1887, I was shown by Dr. Colley Marsh, and myself gathered some Pygmy Flints from the site of the Fenella Hotel, on the Northern slope of Peel Hill. Mr. Cowley has also found some here and on Dalby mountain. ‘Chipped Flints’ from the head of Glen Maarliagh (G.W.L.) and flakes, Creglea, with javelin and leaf-shaped arrow-head from Raby, are in the Manx Museum. In the collection at Peel Castle also are several flakes and scrapers.

A Flint Axe-head was found in 1870 at the foundations of the Round Tower, Peel. Polished-stone Axe-heads collected by Mr.Cowley are in the Museum, of which the following came from this Parish;— 1132, 1135, 1128, 1153.

A Polished Stone Axe-head from Eairy, Shieau Whialhian, others from Raby, 1445, from Foxdale, 588, as weil as a hoard of four found at Knockaloe, 603, 608, 609, and 607. M.

A perforated Axe-hammer from a Cist, Knoclcaloe, 593. M.

Pounders and Hammers, M.

A Bronze Axe-head from the Parish, M. 800. Leaf-shaped blade of dirk or short sword, Foxdale, M. 807; a broken blade from the Cathedral, M. 809. Formerly in Peel Castle, but now long lost, was a spear-head of looped type, 5 in. long, figured and described in 1846, Arch.Journ., vol. ii, p. 187. and referred to by Evans in Bronze Implements, p. 326. Fragments of Urn, Peel Castle. Urns from Peel Hill. Ancient Swords (iron?) from Glenmeaye, recorded in Mx. Soc. v. 77.

Mr. W. Cubbon reports a Cup-marked stone in the western hedge of the old road, Ballargy.

Cross-slabs. At Lag ny Keeilley, 9, 10; Ballelby, 49; in the Parish Church, 15, 19, 34, and, in Peel Castle, besides the broken Altar-slab from S. Patrick’s Church, 67, are the Cross-slabs 30, 31, 35, 115 and 140.

In the collection at Peel Castle also may be seen,—Flint cores and implements, Cannon-balls of Foxdale granite, 2½ to 5¼ in. diam., and some iron cannon-balls.

Upper stone of Quern, purple grit, with vertical sides, 8½ by 3 in., with four handle-holes on the upper face which is ornamented by a cross in low relief. The cylindrical hopper or feeding-hole and the sockets for iron fittings on the bottom mark it as late. A lower stone of irregular outline, 11 to 12 in. by 6in., has a basin ito 1½ in. deep, with diam. 7 in. An upper stone from Foxdale, 1820.

Broken Tabernacle or carved stone front of a recess in the wall in which was kept the Reserved Eucharist or some precious Relic. Of grey grit, 14 in. by 4in. and 11 in. high, with geometrical and figure-carving, intaglio, and angled arches. Rude country work of 15th century. Broken fragment showing similar carving. These were found in the building north of the Cathedral.

Voussoir of red sandstone, 8 in. by 5½ in. and 2½ in. thick, with carved face in relief. Found on beach near the Castle.

Fragments of window-glass, with lead.(Stained glass from the Cathedral (16th c.) now in Castle Rushen—Mx.Soc. XXIX, 21).

Pieces of bronze Bell from Cathedral tower. Original diam. about 12 in. Iron door-handle, bolt of lock, keys. Rush-light holder on three legs, 9⁵/₈ in. Sheet lead from roof.

Kern-ushtey, water-can of oak staves with willow hoops, 11½ in. high by about 12 in. diam. Glazed pottery fragments.

Bowl of pewter spoon. Pipe bowls.

Pair of Carranes of black goat skin, 9½in.

Boars’ tusks.

Also some prints and a water-colour view by Lady Raglan, and some geological specimens.

Sundial. At the parish Church, a horizontal, square dial of slate, with gnomon supported by Three Legs. 18th. c. M. There is another at the Vicarage.

A Font of granite, given by Bishop Wilson to the Parish Church about 1714. M.

‘Ancient Swords’ are mentioned as from Glen Meaye, also a ‘halbert or battle-axe,’ Mx. Soc. v. 77. Possibly this may be the find referred to in the Manx Advertiser, 3 Feb., 1810,— ‘...found last week deposited under a large projecting rock at Glenrushen in the parish of Kk. Patrick; among which was a spear made of a composition of metal and mounted with gold; measures 16 inches in length and weighs 1 lb. 9 oz. There were also two swords of the same kind of metal ; the whole of them almost entire; there is no inscription or device upon them.’ From Borrane, Mx. Soc. v. p. 79, ‘A basket-handled sword of great size and a battle-axe in a stone coffin.’ (This might be from Ballelby).

A collection of Stone cannon-balls of Foxdale granite, and some of iron, in Peel Castle.

Coins. A coin of Ethelred (979) was found at Gordon, and, in 1835, some scores of pieces of silver at Dalby, some being of the reign of Elizabeth (Mx. Soc. XVII, 35-39). Oswald records that ‘Mr. Corrin, Knockaloe, had in his possession ornaments and coins similar to the find of gold ear-rings at Kintraa.’