[227] Proceedings R.I.A., vol. v., p. 55.

[228] And also the following antiquities:—A small stone, on which was carved a headless naked human figure. A sandstone ring. Several whetstones. A dark-coloured piece of shale and sandstone, three inches across, marked on the surface like the “game stones” in the Museum, R. I. A. A mould, formed of agalmatolite or potstone; on one side it had a circular cast for a harness stud. A decorated bone comb, and portions of eight others. Many curious bone pins (described ante “Articles of the Toilet,” &c.). A spatula-shaped bone (ante, p. 140). Flat pieces of ornamental bone (p. 139). A bone knife or skean, highly decorated on the handle and along a portion of the blade. A knife and fork of bone, colour dark brown; the handles are square, and decorated with the domino pattern. Several miscellaneous bone articles, consisting of pins, handles, knives, &c. Bronze tweezers, and several ornamented bronze pins. An admirably-designed brooch, or brooch-pin, of findruin or white bronze; its ring, two inches in diameter, was a mass of spiral ornamentation, pointing to an extremely early age. A very perfect short-bladed bolt-head, with narrow loops. A narrow dagger-blade, with high mid-rib and ridge on handle-plate. Amongst the iron remains there occurred, swords, varying in length from six to eighteen inches, axe-heads, spear-heads, shears, bodkins, and many small articles of domestic use.

[229] Proceedings R.I.A., vol. v., p. 417.

[230] Not far from Tullamore, on the direct route from the crannog of Lough Annagh to Killeigh, and under a considerable depth of bog, was found a very fine bronze pin, eleven inches long; it tapered to a sharp point at the end, and was headed with a disc, one and a-half inches in diameter, having an obtusely pointed boss in the centre.

[231] Proceedings R.I.A., vol. v., p. xxxvii.

[232] Journal Royal Hist. and Arch. Asso. of Ireland, vol. v. (New Series), pp. 228-9.

[233] “A Letter from Major Wood,” &c.; also, Story’s History, part, ii., p. 73.

[234] The “finds” were as follows:—An iron cuirass, ornamented with sunk lines and projecting pigeon-breast medial line; it was furnished with hook and staple to fasten the “back-piece” to the “breast.” This piece of armour was undoubtedly of the seventeenth century; a matchlock, barrel thirty-six inches long; a gun-barrel of small calibre; three pistol-barrels; an iron halbert—a fine sixteenth century specimen; an iron spade, trowel, chisel, axe, and door-bolt; an iron skean or dagger, thirteen inches long, and another, four and a-half inches long; a small iron knife; two sword-blades, twenty-six inches in length; a nondescript article of iron; three curiously-wrought iron keys; a fragment of a bronze ornament; two iron spurs of antique shape; a “spindle-whorl” of stone; a bronze ladle; a bronze spear-head, and a very curiously-shaped brick.

[235] Journal Royal Hist. and Arch. Asso. of Ireland, vol. i. (3rd Series), p. 157. Ibid, vol. ii. (New Series), pp. 71-5.

[236] Wakefield’s Account of Ireland, vol. i., p. 94.

[237] Proceedings R. I. A., vol. ix., pp. 176-9.—H. B. Trench and G. H. Kinahan.

[238] Omitting the ideal restoration, fig. 213 is reproduced from a Paper by R. J. Ussher and G. H. Kinahan, as is also fig. 212.

[239] Journal Royal Hist. and Arch. Asso. of Ireland, October, 1879. Proceedings R. I. A. (2nd Series), vol. ii., December, 1880.—R. J. Ussher and G. H. Kinahan.

[240] Lyell’s Principles of Geology, vol. ii., p. 164.

[241] Ancient Bronze Implements of Great Britain and Ireland, p. 436.

[242] In the Museum, R. I. A., Nos. 297 to 302, are stone celts from this crannog, and amongst the miscellaneous bone articles Nos. 1 to 4, and 18, are bone hafts or handles, one of them stained black, and ornamented by spiral and interrupted grooves. There are two horn tines, artificially shaped, and No. 40 is a shank-bone of a sheep or goat, stained black, highly polished, and perforated at one end. Besides the celebrated bronze shield described (ante, p. 71), the following antiquities are recorded as having been discovered in this site:—“A long, narrow, spear-head of bronze, in excellent preservation, the socket—circular in form—measuring nearly twenty-three inches in length, and two one-eighth inches in breadth at base of blade, along which there is a ridge with a feather edge running into flat compressed loops at the junction of blade and socket. A bronze spear-head, slightly defective in socket, but blade perfect; it was found with a portion of the charred handle remaining in it. A very small dagger-blade of bronze, with wide notches in the handle-plate. A bronze tube, probably the ferrule-end of a spear, and having a rivet-hole.”—Cat. Mus., R. I. A., pp. 487, 507-517.

[243] Journal Royal Hist. and Arch. Asso. of Ireland, vol. v. (4th series), pp. 336-9.—W. F. Wakeman.

[244] Proceedings, R. I. A., vol. ix., pp. 172-176.—G. H. Kinahan.

[245] The “finds” here were unimportant, they consisted of a polishing-stone; a dart or arrow-head formed of the carboniferous sandstone of the district; a few sea-shells; some charred bones, principally those of the cow, sheep, pig, and goose—the latter very numerous; hazel nutshells; pieces of chert, off some of which chips seemed to have been struck; small round pebbles of white quartz.—Proceedings R. I. A., vol. x., pp. 31, 33.—G. H. Kinahan.

[246] The “finds” on Reed Island were, a whetstone, and fragments of another; a slab of sandstone (probably the hearth); a piece of iron, seemingly portion of some cutting instrument; a quantity of wood-ashes; a circular wooden noggin, with a small round handle; the handle of another vessel; some bright-red colouring matter, rolled up in a piece of birch bark. Near the outside piles were bones of the ox, sheep, and pig, all very much broken and gnawed.

[247] Other “finds” on Shore Island were, numerous flat stones, bearing marks of fire—evidently ancient hearths; fragments of upper and lower stones of a two-handled quern; a small arrow-head (chert); a small celt; eighteen hones of various sizes; a rubbing-stone; several sling-stones; two pieces of Silurian grit (artificially worked); a large Silurian nodule; part of a clay crucible; a bronze pin with a swivel head; a crozier of bronze inlaid with silver; iron shears, like sheep-shears of the present day, but some of them small and fine; a battle-axe, hatchet-edged on the one side, and spiked on the other; a vessel of hammered iron, that had been used for smelting purposes; a knife set in a rude bone handle; a semicircular knife; a piercer of bone; a cut piece of deer’s horn; a bone handle of an iron instrument; part of a deer’s horn; many heaps of ashes, and hazel nuts.

[248] Proceedings R. I. A., vol. viii., pp. 412-427.—G. H. Kinahan.

[249] Cat. Mus. R. I. A., p. 29. Proceedings R. I. A., vol. v., Appendix lxi.

[250] Proceedings R. I. A., vol. v., Appendix lxii.

[251] Ibid.

[252] No special description of the Cloonfree crannogs (2) has been furnished; but the following antiquities, found in or around them, were presented to the Museum R. I. A.:—A small bone spear-head, four inches long; a rude pin, formed apparently of the long bone of a fowl; a boar’s tusk; bronze tweezers; a pin, with ornamental head, carved on two sides; a long pin, with ornamental spike-head; a ring; a (?) buckle; an iron horse-shoe; a fragment, like part of the hilt of a sword; a spike, for butt-end of spear; a pair of tweezers; a small pin, the head bound with bronze wire; two amber beads, one of them flat in shape.—Proceedings R. I. A., vol. v., p. 219.

[253] Proceedings R. I. A., vol. v., p. 208, &c.—Appendix, D. H. Kelly.

[254] Scientific Transactions of the Royal Dublin Society, vol. i., series ii., p. 222.

[255] In the crannogs of Cloonfinlough (2) there were found several bronze spear-heads; pins of great variety of form; a bowl hammered out of the solid (ante, p. 84); a fragment of another (ante, plate XVII., No. 3); two vessels composed of small pieces curiously rivetted together; a brooch of handsome workmanship (ante, p. 117); numerous bone pins and implements; combs of great artistic merit (ante, p. 113); discs and deer’s horns; knives, sickles, hatchets, swords, and spear-heads of iron; an implement made of sheet iron rivetted together, having in the centre a circular ornament with a cross, that evidently once had borne an arabesque pattern; many diminutive frying-pans; small whetstones; single and double bronze rings; a coin of the Emperor Hadrian; a Bulla of Pope Paul V.; several silver coins of the Edwards—one so late as James II.; also a silver coin, unfigured, it is stated, in any collection. From the same locality the following articles, purchased from Mrs. E. Devenish, Clonfinla House, Strokestown, are now in the British Museum:—A bronze dagger and brooch (ante, plate XXXV., Nos. 1 and 2); a plain brooch pin, 5¾ inches in length; fourteen bronze pins of varying size and shape; a cruciform object for attachment, diameter, 1⅞ inches; a harp pin, quatre-foil at one end, round at the other, which is pierced with a hole for the string, length, 2¾ inches; an iron bill-hook, penannular socket, one rivet-hole; a double axe (plate XXXV., No. 6); a spear-head much corroded, no rivet-hole, length, 7⅝ inches; an arrow-head (plate XXXV., No. 4); a knife with long handle, all of iron, length, 7¼ inches; a gouge and chisel combined, length, 9 inches; a gouge, 7⅛ inches; a pair of shears, length, 7¼ inches; a piece of iron with remains of loop handle, length, 4½ inches; a circular pan with straight handles, remains of a loop at the end, length, 7 inches; diameter, 3½ inches; a key, openwork handle, length, 2⅛ inches; a stone chessman (ante, p. 132); a sharpener, grey in colour, square in section, decreasing to each end, length, 4¾ inches; a flat bead of dark-grey shale, diameter, ½ inch; a bone scoop resembling No. 8, on plate VI., and having two rivet-holes at butt, ornamented with group of four dots, length, 5⅞ inches; a curved pin of bone, with flattened head, length, 4⅜ inches; a second pin about half that size; two needles of bone, varying in length from 3⅝ to 2⅞ inches; a ring of stag’s horn (plate XXXV., No. 5); draughtsmen of stag’s horn (p. 131, figs. 176, 177); a wooden peg, roughly cut, length, 2½ inches; a bucket stave, with marks of two bands on outside surface, and furrow for bottom on inside, length, 7⅝ inches; a single-piece leather shoe (plate XXXV., No. 7); a silver Scottish 20 shilling piece, obv., crowned head of king, to left in field XX—legend, CAR·D·G·MAG·BR·FR·ET·HIB·REX.—R. crowned thistle—legend, IVST·THRONVM·FIRMAT.

[256] The following “finds” from Ardakillen are deposited in the Museum, R. I. A.:—Numerous bone pins of various sizes and designs; twenty-two combs or fragments of same; a bone dart, six and a-half inches long; do., five and a-half inches long; do., four and three-quarter inches long; do., five inches long; a curved piece of deer’s horn, hollowed at the base, and another piece slightly longer; a tine of deer’s horn, hollowed at base; numerous harp-pins of bone (one is figured, ante, p. 125); a curious ovoid piece of bone, polished (ante, p. 105); the leg-bone of a deer, covered with carvings (plate XXXII.); a bronze brooch (ante, p. 117); a small slender torque-pattern ring (ante, p. 118); a bridle-bit (ante, p. 137); several whetstones; a very perfect, thin, narrow rapier-blade, double notches in handle-plate; beads of stone, bone, wood, porcelain, glass, and amber; numerous bronze pins; an oaken water-scoop, with a hollowed-out handle; a wooden mallet; some ogham-inscribed wooden objects.—Journal Royal Hist. and Arch. Assoc. of Ireland, vol. iii. (4th Series), p. 206.

[257] Proceedings R. I. A., vol. v., p. 214. Cat. Mus., R. I. A., p. 219.

[258] Unfortunately these remains in the Museum, R.I.A., cannot now be identified.

[259] The report on the skull has been most kindly furnished by A. W. Foot, M.D., Member, Royal Hist. and Arch. Association of Ireland.

[260] Cat. Mus., R.I.A., p. 110.

[261] Proceedings, R.I.A., vol. v., Appendix, lix. Cat. Mus., R.I.A., p. 552.

[262] Another name for Glencar lake. This crannog lies within the bounds of the Co. Leitrim. The more ancient name of Glencar, as used by the Four Masters, was Cairthe Mulchean, i.e. Mulchan’s Pillar-stone. Gleann-a-Chairthe, pronounced Glencarna, and Glen Dallain, signify the Glen of the Pillar-stone.

[263] Irish Names of Places (2nd Series), p. 7. P. W. Joyce.