to some or most of these forts. The date of Dun Engus is popularly supposed to be about 100 B.C. Dubh Cathair is locally reputed to be the oldest of all. We were informed that when it was captured, all the prisoners were thrown into the sea over the cliff on which it stands, with the sole exception of one man, who was spared on the condition of his showing the conquerors how to build a similar fort, and Dun Angus was accordingly erected. This story, however, does not appear to have any historic value.

Cloghans, or bee-hive stone huts, appear to have been common. The largest and most perfect of these is the Clochan-na-carraige, near Kilmurvy. There is another not far from Killeany; and Kinahan discovered and described quite a town of ruined cloghans and other stone buildings.-(G. H. Kinahan, 1867).

In the Middle Island there is a nearly perfect cloghan in the village of Kinbally.

In the neighbourhood of the village of Cowragh in Aranmore is a Cromlech, or Leabha Diarmuda agus Grainne, which is built of slabs of limestone. There is another one in Inishmaan.

Also near Cowragh are several pillar stones, some of which have fallen down.

There are two holed-stones on Aranmore; one is well-known; it stands in the enclosure of Mainistir Connaughtagh, close by Tempul Chiarain; an early form of cross is incised on the slab; the latter may perhaps be regarded as a symbol of Christian annexation of a pagan sacred stone. The second holed-stone, so far as we have been able to discover, has not hitherto been recorded in print. It is a small stone without any inscription or decoration, which lies close to the small font of St. Sourney; the latter is reputed never to be empty of water, although it is not fed by any spring.

The virtues ascribed to most of the numerous holy wells may be regarded more as pagan legacies than as distinctly of Christian origin, notwithstanding that many of them are associated with some saint or another.

We feel that we cannot conclude without drawing the attention of the Academy to the desirability of its undertaking a careful and detailed survey of the antiquities of the Aran Islands. It is true that several distinguished archeologists have visited these islands, and some have published fragmentary accounts of certain of the remains, but not even a complete list has yet been printed, of the pagan and Christian antiquities. Unfortunately several of the priceless ruins have been tampered with on various occasions; and it is full time that

every object of interest should be acurately surveyed, measured, and photographed under the direction of competent archaeologists. If the results were published, with a sufficient number of illustrations, archeologists would possess a memoir, the value and interest of which it would be almost impossible to exaggerate.

VII.-HISTORY.

We cannot pretend to give a history of the Aran Islands; several authors who have written on these islands have given imperfect sketches of their supposed history (amongst whom may be mentioned J. T. O'Flaherty, Barry, Burke), and our account is mainly to remind the reader that there are traditions of changes of race, and we know that there have been changes in the government of these islands from time to time.

According to the Book of Conquests, some of the Firbolgs fled to these and other of the western islands after they were defeated at Muireadh or Moytura by the Tuatha de Danan (Damnorians or Dedannans).

Here they remained until the period of their expulsion by the Cruithnigh or Picts of Ireland, not long after the division of the whole country into provinces; how long these Picts were in possession of Aran does not appear to be clearly ascertained.

The Picts were succeeded by a Damnorian [? Firbolg] tribe, patronimically called Clan-Huamoir, who retained possession down to the middle of the third century of our era. "It further appears from our annals" (writes O'Flaherty, and from whom the above account is taken, 1825, p. 85), that two chiefs, Aengus and Concovar of the Huamor Sept, possessed the Isles of Aran in the time of Maud, Queen of Connaught, whose reign was not long anterior to the Christian era. Of these chiefs there are still unequivocal memorials; one in the Great Isle of Aran called Dun Aenguis, "the fortification of Angus"; the other in the Middle Isle, traditionally called Dun Concovair, "the fortification of Concovar."

O'Flaherty adds:-"Among the early tribes who had fixed in Aran we meet mention of Soil Gangain; and Ptolemy clearly places his Gangani in or about these isles. It is more than presumable that these are the Concani whom Orosius traces in Cantabria, calling them, as Camden remarks, Scyths or Scots. . . . . The early inhabitants of Aran were, it is true, of the Belgic and Damnorian stock; but, so late as the middle of the second century, Ptolemy's time, it is by no means

improbable, that a Scottish clan had also settled there. The Scots had possession of Ireland many centuries before that period."

"Archbishop Usher affirms that Engus, the first Christian King of Desmond or South Munster had bestowed the Isles of Aran on St. Einea, called also Endeus; and it does not appear that the learned Primate's opinion has been contradicted." Engus died about 490.

"In 546, it was agreed between the Kings of Munster and Connaught that the islands of Aran were to acknowledge no superior or pay chief rent to any but their native princes.

6

"In 1081, the Great Island was destroyed by the Danes, as the annalists of Inisfallen record. Arain na Naoimh do lusgadh le Lochlannaibh.'

"The old records of Galway attest that the inhabitants of that town were, from a remote period, on terms of close friendship and alliance with the Sept of Mac Teige O'Brien, hereditary lords of Aran; both parties being bound to give mutual aid in all cases of emergency. This league, however, did not save the islanders from the violence of the Lord Justice, Sir John D'Arcy, by plunder, fire, and sword in 1334.

"Late in the sixteenth century [1586] the O'Briens were expelled from the islands by the O'Flaherties of Iar Connaught. Upon information of this transaction having been received by Queen Elizabeth, a commission issued, which declared that the islands belonged to her Majesty in right of her crown. She accordingly by letters-patent, dated 13th January, 1587, granted the entire to John Rawson, of Athlone, gentleman, and his heirs, on condition of his retaining constantly on the islands, twenty foot soldiers of the English nation." The Corporation of Galway, ineffectually addressed the Queen on behalf of the Sept Mac Teige O'Brien of Aran as the temporal captains or lords of the islands of Aran "time out of man's memory."

Sir Robuck Lynch of Galway next became proprietor of the islands. "In 1651, when the royal authority was fast declining, the Marquis of Clanricarde resolved to fortify these islands; where he placed 200 musketeers, with officers and a gunner, under command of Sir Robert Lynch. The fort of Arkyn, in the great island, was soon after repaired and furnished with cannon, and by this means held out against the parliamentary forces near a year after the surrender of Galway. In December, 1651, the Irish routed in every other quarter, landed 700 men here in boats from Iar-Connaught and Inis-Bophin. On the 9th, of the following January 1300 foot, with a battering piece, were shipped from the bay of Galway to attack them. On the 13th the islands surrendered. . . The parliamentary forces, on taking

possession of the fortifications found seven large pieces of cannon, with a considerable quantity of arms and ammunition; they seized also a French shallop of 28 oars, and several large boats.

"The late proprietor of the islands, Sir Robert Lynch, was declared a forfeiting traitor, and his right made over to Erasmus Smith, Esq., one of the most considerable of the London adventurers. This gentleman's interest having been purchased by Richard Butler, created Earl of Aran in 1662, the title of the latter was confirmed by the Act of Settlement (cf. p. 795).

"On the surrender of Galway to King William's forces in 1691, Aran was garrisoned, and a barrack built, in which soldiers had been quartered for many years after.

At this time

"In 1762 Arthur Gore was created Earl of Aran. [1852] the ownership of the islands is in the Digby family, to a member of which they are said to have been mortgaged by a Mr. Fitzpatrick of Galway for £4000. On failure of payment, the mortgage was foreclosed.

During the documentary period of its history these islands have changed hands more frequently than is mentioned in the foregoing sketch, but there is nothing to show that fresh blood was introduced into the population. It is mainly owing to their lying at the mouth of Galway Bay that the Aran islands have had such a chequered history.

VIII.-ETHNOLOGY.

Several authors regard the existing Aranites as descendants of the Firbolgs. This belief is doubtless due to the reputed Firbolg origin of the forts. The latter may be true, but even so, it does not afford proof for the former statement.

If the foregoing sketch of the pre-Christian history of the Aran Islands be only approximately correct, we have grounds for believing that the Firbolgs did not remain undisputed owners of the islands.

Sir Samuel Ferguson says (loc. cit., p. 496):-" These islands when Enda first obtained his alleged grant of them from Aengus, King of Cashel, had no population to instruct, all the souls to be cured were on the mainland" . . . and on p. 497 he adds, after mentioning that Enda according to tradition returned from Rome with a hundred and fifty monks about the year 580 and established himself at Kill-any. "The island at this time appears to have been wholly depopulated of its Fir-Volg colony. We read of no occupants besides the religious and occasional, "gentile" visitants from the adjoining district of Cor

comroe.

The captain of these pagans was one Corban; and Enda, after

some negotiations, so far won his respect as to be allowed the undisturbed possession of his desert. A single dun cow, a relict probably of the Fir-Volgic herds, afforded the chief supply of aliment for the first recluses. Enda's Laura soon increased to a considerable community."

In the Christian period we find it a stronghold of the Clan Mac Teige O'Brien. By the sandy cove of Port Murvey in Aranmore, at the spot still called "Farran-na-Cann," " the field of skulls," the O'Briens are said at some remote period to have slaughtered each other almost to extermination.

Later the O'Briens were expulsed from their territory by "ye ferocious O'Flaherties of Iar-Connaught."

It is not probable that the O'Briens or the O'Flaherties were Firbolgs. We know that garrisons were several times quartered on the islands, more particularly on Aranmore, and it is not improbable that owing to wrecks and to possible occasional immigrants from Galway of "foreigners," that mixture of blood may have occurred during the lapse of the last 500 years.

To what race or races the Aranites belong, we do not pretend to say, but it is pretty evident that they cannot be Firbolgs, if the latter are correctly described as "small, dark-haired, and swarthy."

Group of three Aran Boys. We have been informed that the reason why the small boys are so dressed is to deceive the devil as to their sex. (The negative was kindly lent to us by Mr. N. Colgan.)