1923. Irish Societies. 83 



June 2. Excursion round the Antrim Coast. — Conducte I by 

 R. J. Welch, a party of 90 members and friends motored from Belfast via 

 Larne and Cushendall to Ballycastle, and thence back via Armoy and 

 Ballycastle to Belfast. For the whole distance the route lay through 

 country of high interest to the naturalist, but the travelling was too 

 continuous to allow of any original work being done. The well-known 

 and striking geological features of the coast were seen to advantage, 

 and many of the characteristic plants were noted from the chars-a-banc. 

 The members of the new Route Field Club joined the party at ^Nlurlough. 

 A very enjoyable day was spent. 



June 16. — Excursion to Braid Valley. — Fifty-eight members and 

 friends journeyed to the valley of the Braid under the conductorship of Mr. 

 J. Skillen. Slemish Mountain, a volcanic neck (1,437 feet), hallowed by the 

 feet of St. Patrick, was the objective. A halt was made at the Moat of 

 Dunfane (Dun-na-Feinne, the fort of the Fenians), a great mound about 

 30 feet high, and still surrounded in part by the original ditch and rampart 

 and on the east by the remains of an extensive fortified earthwork. Further 

 along the road Mr. Skillen pointed out a fine section of a huge esker deposit 

 of glacial sands and gravels. 



At Broughshane (the bru or border of Shane — viz., Shane O'Neill), 

 a halt was made to inspect the two fine memorial windows of Celtic design 

 in the Second Presbyterian Church. A visit was also paid to the grave 

 of the Rev Canon Grainger, an original member of the Club, and its first 

 chairman. On the main road from Ballymena to Glenarm, the Holy Well 

 of Tubbernasool (Tober-na-suil, the well of the eyes), was pointed out in 

 a boggy field on the south side of the road. This is the " fons miraculosus ." 

 of Colgan, to which more than a century ago pilgrimages were made, but 

 all traces of its sacred use have disappeared. 



The old Church of Skerry (Schirich, rocky), founded by St. Patrick 

 himself, next came in sight. The ruins measure on the outside 69 ft. by 

 26 ft. The interior is filled to a considerable height by graves, an arch 

 at the eastern end covering the tomb of the O'Neill family. In more 

 modern times a farmer in this neighbourhood, one James M'Alschinder, 

 or Alexander, introduced a variety of potatoes which became famous 

 under the name of " Skerry blues." It is said he grew them from two 

 potatoes found in a barrel of Dutch flax-seed. 



From Mr. Montgomery's farm at the north-eastern base of Slemish 

 the ascent of the mountain was commenced— the party was treading the 

 footsteps of St. Patrick, who here spent seven years in captivity as a 

 head-boy. The Saint's Chair, a natural cleft in the rock, was pointed 

 out, and Mr. Skillen indicated the location, at the base of the hill, of 

 " M'Cracken's Well," where Henry Joy M'Cracken and his men, on their 

 retreat to Slemish after the Battle of Antrim, paved the mouth of the 

 well with neatly-fitting stones which still remain intact. 



On the return journey the stone circle and kistvaen at Bally marlow 

 were inspected. The discovery of these ancient remains by Mr. Skillen 

 about 1908, created much interest in archaelogical circles on account of 



