It was Resolved unanimously

"That the best thanks of the Society be given to the Members of the Local Committee, and especially to the REV. J. F. M. ffrench, Mr. Perceval, and DR. G. E. J. GREENE, for the arrangements made for the reception of the Society in the County Wexford."

It was Resolved unanimously—

"That the best thanks of the Society be given to the Mayor of Wexford for granting the Society the use of the Town Hall."

The following Notice of Motion was given, on behalf of Mr. P. M. Egan, Fellow:

"That Rule 16 be amended by adding the following words after the words 'if elected':

"In case the number of persons so nominated shall exceed the number of vacancies, a printed Balloting Paper, containing the names of all such Candidates, arranged in alphabetical order, shall be sent by post to every Fellow and Member whose name is on the Roll of the Society, directed to the address entered on the Roll, at least one week before the day of election. Each person voting shall mark with an asterisk the name of each Candidate for whom he, or she, votes. The voter shall then return the Balloting Paper to the Secretaries on or before the day preceding the election in an envelope, marked Balloting Paper,' and signed with the name of the voter, the Balloting Paper itself must not be signed. In case a voter signs the Balloting Paper, or votes for more Candidates than the number specified thereon, such vote shall be void. The Balloting Papers shall be scrutinized, on the day of election, by at least two Scrutineers, appointed by the Council, who shall report the result at the General Meeting held on the evening of that day. The Treasurer shall furnish the Scrutineers with a list of the Fellows and Members qualified to vote at such election. Those Candidates who obtain the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected, subject to the provisions of Rule 17, provided that when there appears an equality of votes for two or more Candidates, the Candidate who is senior on the books of the Society shall be declared elected."

The Society then adjourned to Tuesday, the 14th of January, 1896.

EXCURSIONS IN COUNTY WEXFORD,

9th, 10th, and 11th September, 1895.

THE Excursions in connexion with the Wexford Meeting commenced on Monday, 9th September. The principal party left Dublin by the 10 a.m. train from Harcourt-street., the D. W. & W. Railway Company having kindly granted reduced fares and other facilities for the journey.

Arrived at Ferns station at 1 p.m., the party was received by the Rev. J. F. M. ffrench, Dr. G. Greene, J.P., and others. Cars were here provided, and the party was driven to

FERNS.1

The Romanesque and Gothic architecture of the ecclesiastical ruins, the Celtic crosses, and the noble remnant of an Anglo-Norman castle, all point to the important position which Ferns occupied in the past, and remind us that this ancient site was, for many centuries, the abode, when living, and the resting-place when dead, of the ecclesiastic and the soldier. Its name, Fearna, or the Alders, is a peaceful one, and it first rose into importance as the site of the ecclesiastical settlement of the far-famed St. Maodhog, the first Christian Bishop of this diocese, who died A.D. 632, and was buried here. The place where he erected his little cell, and gathered his followers around him, may, we believe, be still distinguished by the fence, partly circular or semicircular, which surrounds the crowded churchyard, and which was probably constructed on the site of the walls, or rude earthen fence of the ecclesiastical rath, that he caused to be erected to protect his little settlement from danger. Of the ancient Celtic oratories that once existed at Ferns, there are now no remnants left; they probably remained until the time of the Normans, who constructed a handsome Anglo-Norman cathedral, which, in its turn, fell before the hands of the spoiler. The ruins of some graceful Gothic windows remain to show that, at one time, a building stood there that was worthy of the ancient reputation attached to such an honoured site; another portion of the

Notes of the places visited, compiled by the Rev. J. F. M. ffrench, M.R.I.A., Fellow.

ancient cathedral has been reconstructed so as to form the present Protestant cathedral and parish church; and within these walls there is a full-length figure of an early bishop, popularly believed to rest over the grave of St. Maodhog (who is also known as St. Mogue and St. Aidan). S.E. of the cathedral are the remains of the Augustinian Monastery, founded by Dermot Mac Murrough, a narrow building, with windows of a rather transition type, and a tower, which seems to be intended as a kind of compromise between a square and a round one, the lower part being square, and the upper part round. It was in this monastery that King Dermot hid himself during one whole winter, while he was awaiting his Norman allies (he having previously burned down his own house).

In the churchyard are crosses of late Celtic workmanship, which are here represented as sketched by Mr. Wakeman. They have no inscriptions, but one is said to have been erected over the grave of King Dermot Mac Murrough. It is covered all over with the pattern called the key-pattern, or Greek fret, and a wonderful ingenuity has been displayed in so altering that simple pattern, that while its identity is placed beyond dispute, yet each side of the cross exhibits a different design. It has been stated that the Irish were the only western nation who tried to cover a flat surface with Greek fret.

Some distance north of the church is a HOLY WELL, now be

neath the roadway, and reached by an arched passage. The stonework covering the well is modern, and is decorated with stone heads abstracted from the ancient church at Clone. Further on is ST. PETER'S CHURCH, stated to have been the old parish church of Ferns, situated in the present rectory lawn; its ruins present many features of interest to the antiquarian. The peculiar form of the chancel arch (consisting of a single sweep, without a sub-arch moulding or chamfer) marks it out as one of the earliest of its type. Here also we see a beautiful Romanesque round-arched window, enriched with chevron and pellet ornamentation, and within it inserted a Gothic window of the early English type.

After luncheon at Lett's and Bolger's Hotels, the CASTLE was visited. This fine Anglo-Norman ruin appears to have been originally of great strength, of quadrangular form, and defended at the angles with round towers, one of which is still in a fair state of preservation, and contains a beautiful little chapel with a groined roof. A fortress seems to have been erected here as early as the time of Strongbow (probably on the site of the dun or fortress of the Irish king); subsequently the manor of Ferns is said to have been given by Henry II. to William Fitz Adelm, who, on the death of Maurice Fitz Gerald in 1176, seized on his Castle of Wicklow, and compelled his sons to take in exchange the ruined Castle of Ferns.