Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 3.djvu/60

46 island in one of the lakes adjoining the present town. The residence of Ever Mac Cooley Mac Mahon, chief of the celebrated district of Farney, in Mac Mahon's country, in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I., was at Lisanisk, (close to the town of Carrickmacross,) and is marked in Jobson's map, made in 1591, as "The Hand, Ever Mac Cooley's house;" the foundations of this ancient residence were discovered in the autumn of 1843, seven feet below the present surface of the earth, in the little island at Lisanisk, and two feet below the present water level of the lake, a double row of piles were found sunk in the mud; they were formed of young trees, from six to twelve inches in diameter, with the bark on; the area inclosed by these piles, from which we may judge of the size of the house, was sixty feet in length, by forty-two in breadth; vast quantities of bones of various animals, particularly deer, were also found here, but I believe no ancient Irish weapons, or other remains, as in the instance of a neighbouring crannog discovered on the lake of Monalty, about half a mile from Carrickmacross, in the autumn of 1844. The water of this lake having been lowered a few feet for the purpose of improving the drainage of the surrounding country, a canoe or boat, formed out of one piece of oak, and measuring twenty-four feet in length, by three feet at its greatest breadth, and thirteen inches in height, was brought to light, close to a low island on the southern side of the lake; on this island, which appears decidedly to have been artificial, from the remains of piles and transverse portions of oak timber which are found there, a great variety of curious remains, though of very unequal degrees of antiquity, have been discovered. The following list comprehends not only these relics, but also another set of a similar description, which have been found on an island on the adjoining lake of Lough na Glack. The soil of this last island is mixed with stones and bones, and is evidently to a considerable depth artificial; there arc also, as in the former instance, considerable remains of large piles of timber.

The objects of greatest antiquity found on these islands, are stone celts of the common type, a rough piece of flint, apparently intended for an arrow-head, and stones with indentations on either side, evidently formed for slings.

Of bronze weapons and ornaments there are numerous specimens, viz., three bronze celts with loops on the sides,