< Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 3.djvu
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TOWYN-Y-CAPEL. the battle, to prevent their breaking their ranks, an expedient to which aUusion is made in the Triads ^. The spot Avhich has been described, on the western shore of Holyhead Island, may, very probably, have been the scene of this cruel contest. The Irish were routed near Aberfraw, about ten miles distant ; they fled towards their boats, and made their last stand on the narrow isthmus, defended by the sea on either side, with a plain adjoining, upon which their force might be drawn up. Here Caswallon must have sought to pass in crossing from Mona to Holyhead Island by the line of the old road. The Irish made stout defence to save their vessels, but they were defeated, Cerigi their chieftain was slain, and, possibly, the corpses were interred indiscriminately, forming the accumulation of remains found in the centre of the mound under the chapel. The single interments, in rudely formed cists around the tumulus, may have been those of chiefs who fell on this occasion. Again, the supposition is admissible, that these were the remains of the islanders massa- cred by the Irish, previously to their repulse by Caswallon. Cerigi, who fell in the fight, was regarded as a saint by the Irish, and his shrine was even long-time venerated in a chapel within the churchyard of Holy- head, called Eglws y Bedd (church of the grave), or by the Bri- tish, Capel Llan y Gwyddel. The ruins were removed not many years since. It may reasonably be ■ surmised that the . spot where the bones of his victims reposed would be viewed with no common venera- tion, and might be- come the habitual burial place of suc- cessive generations of their kindred or de- scendants. » See Rowland's Moiia Antiqua. Plazi, Towyn y-Capel

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