filled up the cave; and thus they destroyed every vestige of the spot, so do they seek to cancel every trace of its memory. It seemed to me that my mission from Rome should embrace this, too, as one of its special objects; and I would have been, in part, content, could I have planted the cross on that island. But I was not blessed

with the fulfilment of this design."*

The Rev. John Richardson, Rector of Belturbet, in the year 1727 wrote an account of Lough Derg, entitled the Folly of Pilgrimages (a most bigoted and hostile production), in which he relates that a certain Frenchman, named Ludovicus Pyrhus, of Bretagne, came to Lough Derg about the year 1693, for the purpose of discovering the ancient purgatorial cave. Mr. Richardson's words are:-"In order to do this he employed labourers to dig and search for it throughout both these islands, the neighbouring priests giving their assistance. He continued two summers at this work, and after he had spent all the money he brought with him, fell a trafficking, and applied the profit to the same use. At last, as he was searching among the rubbish of a dwelling-house in the largest island" (Saints' Island), "he found a window with iron stanchers. Mr. Art MacCullen, Popish priest of the parish; Mr. Mark MacGrath, and Mr. James Maxwell, a Protestant, who gave me this account, being present. There happened to be a dark cavity under the window, and, after digging a little deeper, they found it to be a cellar window; whereupon Ludovicus Pyrhus ceased from searching any more, and returned to his *Nunziatura, p. 414.

native country. Among the rubbish they found a little bell, which is now in the College of Dublin; and an image, which is said to be the image of Caoranach, and is kept on the lesser island for the satisfaction of the pilgrims."

Whether this Ludovicus Pyrhus had been in search of the ancient purgatorial cave, or, rather, of the valuables secreted here by the Augustinian monks, I cannot say; but it would seem that this incident it was which gave rise to the popular tradition still existing here, namely, that a good many years ago treasure-seekers had torn up the ruins at the eastern extremity of Saints' Island, but failed to discover the much-coveted treasure-trove.

The bell said to have been found in the ruins on Saints' Island by Ludovicus Pyrhus was probably the Bell of St. Dabheoc. I have heard that many years ago a square bronze bell, purporting to be St. Dabheoc's Bell, was preserved on one of the altars at Lough Derg; but there is now no trace or record of its whereabouts. If this be the bell found by Ludovicus Pyrhus-and it is very likely then, if it be true that in Mr. Richardson's time it was preserved in the "College of Dublin" (i.e., Trinity College), I think it may yet be discovered.

The other object of antiquity, namely, the image of Caoranach, found in the cellar on Saints' Island, is still preserved on Station Island. This is an image or representation, cut in stone, of that fabulous monster, called by some Caol, by others Caoranach, which, before its destruction by St. Patrick, is said to have been such a cause of terror to this whole neighbourhood. This

mythological figure somewhat resembles a wolf with a serpent's tail entwined around it. On the stone on which it is cut Father Anthony O'Doherty, of the Order of St. Francis, inscribed the date and purpose of a house which he founded here in the year 1763, for the accommodation of the Franciscan Friars then ministering to the pilgrimage. The stone, with this figure and inscription, is preserved in the southern gable of St. Patrick's Church on Station Island; and we shall hereafter have occasion to refer to its inscription.

As we have already described the expulsion of the Augustinian Canons, and the destruction of their monastery on the "Holy Island," we shall consider in the next chapter the progress of this pilgrimage under their pious successors, the Franciscans.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS AT LOUGH DERG-CONFISCATION AND ALIENATION OF THE POSSESSIONS OF THIS PILGRIMAGE-WRITINGS AGAINST IT-THE ENACTMENT OF QUEEN ANNE-ST. PATRICK'S CROSS-BISHOP HUGH M'MAHON VISITS THE SANCTUARY-SERMON OF BENEDICT XIII. ON ST. PATRICK'S PURGATORY-DR. DE BURGO AND TURLOUGH O'CAROLAN PILGRIMS TO THIS SANCTUARY.

HEN the community of the Franciscan Monastery at Donegal were forced to abandon their cloisters in 1601, the greater part of them found a home and a refuge in Louvain, Brussels, and Antwerp. Yet some of them preferred remaining in their native country, hoping that the dawn of better days might see them restored to their plundered home by the banks of the Esk. Of these we may suppose some afforded the consolations of religion to their persecuted fellow-countrymen; whilst others, to supply the void created by the expulsion of the Augustinians, volunteered their services in the difficult and dangerous office of ministering to the pilgrims, who still came flocking to the ruined sanctuary of Lough Derg About the time in question, many of the Augustinian houses in the north of Ireland had passed into the hands

of the Franciscans; many of the missionary clergy were also Franciscans, and even some of the bishops. In a Relation of the northern dioceses by Primate Oliver Plunket, dated March 6th, 1675, we find the following reference to Clogher and Raphoe, which fully carries out what we have said regarding the Franciscans :-"The diocese of Clogher is about fifty miles long and sixteen wide; it his thirty-five parish priests, two convents of the Franciscans, and one of the Dominicans. The bishop is Dr. Patrick Duffy, formerly a Franciscan friar." Of Raphoe it is said that it has one Franciscan convent. From these convents, we may rightly conclude, some of the friars were deputed each season to minister to the spiritual wants of the pilgrims, as down to the time of Father Anthony O'Doherty (1763) the friars do not appear to have had a permanent residence on the island. Towards the latter part of the seventeenth century, .amongst the Franciscans labouring at Lough Derg, should be mentioned Friar Conway, who was a maternal relative of Mr. Edward Nicholson, of Manchester (of whom more hereafter). It is probable the Rev. Art MacCullen and the Rev. Mark M‘Grath, who assisted Ludovicus Pyrhus in his explorations, were also Franciscans. When Bishop Hugh M'Mahon visited the island in 1714, he found the Franciscans in charge; and later on, in the eighteenth century, we find Father M'Grath and Father O'Doherty, Franciscans, in charge of it.

We have already seen that the church-lands of Lough Derg were vested in the Magraths of Termon-Dabheoc; and that, at the expulsion of the Augustinians in 1632,