"Nine other churches were subject to the cathedral, being, as it were, in one and the same churchyard, which contained about two Irish acres in circuit, on the west whereof the bishops of Clonmacnoise afterwards built their episcopal palace, the ruins of which are yet visible. The situation of this place is not unpleasant. It stands on a green bank, high raised above the river, but encompassed to the east and the north-east with large bogs. The nine churches were most of them built by the kings and petty princes of those parts for their places of sepulture; who though at perpetual wars in their lives, were contented to lie here peaceably in death. One of these churches, called Temple-Ri, or the King's Church, was built by O'Melaghlin, King of Meath, and to this day is the burial place of that family. Another, called Temple-Connor, was built by the O'Connor Don; a third and fourth by O'Kelly and MacCarthy More of Munster. The largest of all was erected by MacDermot, and is called after his name. The rest by others. Before the west door of MacDermot's church stood a large old-fashioned cross or monument, much injured by time, on which was an inscription in antique characters, which nobody that I could hear of could read. The west and north door of this church, although but mean and low, are guarded about with fine-wrought, small marble pillars, curiously hewn. Another of the churches hath an arch of a greenish marble, flat-wrought and neatly hewn and polished, and the joints so close and even set, that the whole arch seems but one entire stone, as smooth as either glass or crystal. The memory of St. Kieran is yet fresh and precious in the minds of the neighbouring inhabitants. In the great church was heretofore preserved a piece of the bone of one of St. Kieran's hands as a sacred relique. The 9th of September is annually observed as the patron-day of this saint, and great numbers from all parts flock to Clonmacnoise in devotion and pilgrimage. The cathedral was heretofore endowed with large possessions, and was above all others famous for the sepulchres of the nobility and bishops, as also for some monuments and inscriptions, partly in Irish and partly in Hebrew. Yet it declined by degrees, and was in the end reduced to a most shameful poverty". (_Harris's Ware_, pag. 166.)