[Yn Lioar Manninagh Vol 2 pp2/3]

EXCURSION TO MAROWN, JUNE 30, 1892.

Leader: A. W. MOORE, M. A., F.R.H.S., Etc.

The first excursion of the season was made to Marown on Thursday, June 30th, under the Leadership of the President, A. W. Moore.

Twenty members, and their friends, met at Crosby at three p.m., and were conducted to 'Marown Old Church, an account of which was given by the Vicar. Outside the porch lay an old Font, of sandstone; it measured 2ft. 8in. across, and 1ft. 4in. high-the basin, which hard no outlet, being 2ft. across and 8½in deep. The outside was shaped into fourteen panels, formed by as many plain, perpendicular, narrow mouldings. Alongside the Font was a curious granite block, roughly triangular, the side measuring about 18in., hollowed out in a rough basin 9in. deep, this also was supposed to have been an ancient Font. From the old church, a pleasant walk along the shady avenue of the Ellerslie road led to the Garth, a farm road at right angles to it leading northwards to the Margher-y-Chiarn; where stands the picturesque pile known as "The Chair," or, "St. Patrick's Cliair." This consists of a mound of sods and stones, about 18in. high, 7ft. long, and 4ft. deep. Set up on the mound are two slabs of the local granite, each with a plain, almost equal-lambed, cross on the face looking west. One, 3ft. 6m above the surface, by 16in. to 22m. wide, and 6½in. thick, at a distance from the top of 6½in., a cross :measuring 14in. by 12in. The width of the lines is one inch, and they are chiselled to a depth of half an inch, their terminations being slightly club-shaped. The other stone, set up alongside of this, measures 2ft. 11in. above the ground, 12½in. wide at the top, and 10in. at the surface of the ground, by about 3½in. thick. Its cross, 4¾in. from the top, measures 11½in. by 8½in. ; width of limbs from ¾'in. to 1in. No trace of Oghams or other inscription was found on any of the stones. The cross, from its shape and appearance, might be of the 6th or 7th Century; probably the monument itself was older, and sepulchral in its origin.

Mr Cadman now conducted the party across the fields to the Stone Circle on the Braaid, at the head of Glen Darrag. Near this spot a small boulder of Riebeckite (Ailsa Craig Granite) was found by the Rev. S. N. Harrison. Assembled at the Circle, the Leader read Train's description of it, also one in MS. by the Rev. John Christian, about 1776. Of the 24 upright stones described as then standing in the Circle, only 10 now remained in position, including the two in the entrance, which looked towards the S.W. Outside the Circle, to the north, is a smaller one, 6ft. in diameter, consisting of an inner and outer circle of stones, and bearing all the appearance of having been a burial mound. There :nay have been several of such mounds within the larger Circle, but this can only be ascertained by excavating. The two curious "avenues" on the N.E. side of the Circle, about 10 yards broad, do not appear to have been continued further; at least, there is not the slightest trace of them nolo to be seen.

Ballingan was next visited, some of the party diverging to examine a curious stone pointed cut by the Secretary at a corner of the hedge of the field lying N.E. of tile enclosure known as Polthaan, in which the Circle is. This was a rough block of Whinstone, broken, and very much weathered, measuring 52in. by 13in, by 9in. On two faces were very deep scores like Oghams (from 4in. to 8in. long by ¾in. wide), but so rough and worn that it seemed impossible to make anything of them. At Ballingan the ancient Keeil was inspected, and the curious old stone Font. These have been described and figured in their Vol. XV. by the -Manx Society.