336 
London, or even in Dublin, it is certain that his discoveries would 
have been far more rapid and important. 
There is, however, another subject not immediately connected 
with the progress of antiquarian knowledge, which deserves to be 
noticed, because it has been a consequence of the great additions 
that have been made to our Museum within the last few years. I 
allude to the impulse that has been given to Irish art by the speci- 
mens of ancient jewellery that have been collected and brought into 
juxtaposition in the Academy’s Museum. The elaborate ornamen- 
tation of the Cross of Cong, of the Domhnach Airgid, of the Fiacail 
Phadruig, of the Cathach—which the liberality of its owner, Sir 
Richard O’Donnell, has permitted us to exhibit—and of the various 
specimens of ancient brooches—especially that beautiful silver brooch 
which was presented to our Museum by the Dean of Clonmacnois— 
has, in various shapes, been reproduced; and under the skilful 
superintendence of our associate, Mr. West, and others, has been 
the means of creating a new school of Irish art, which has already 
given birth to numerous beautiful articles of jewellery that have 
become highly popular, and are purchased and carried off by 
strangers as characteristics and mementos of Ireland. 
I have already occupied so much of your time, that I must be 
very brief in the few remarks with which I would conclude this 
Address. 
The liberality of Government, called forth mainly by the exer- 
tions of my immediate predecessor in this Chair, has increased our 
annual Parliamentary Grant from £300 to £500; and the Academy 
has wisely devoted one-half of this increase to the augmentation 
of the Library, and the other half to the support of the Museum. 
With so small a fund at our disposal it is necessary that we 
should not buy books at random, but that we should limit our 
Library to some special departments. It is generally agreed, I be- 
lieve, that we should confine ourselves to the Transactions of learned 
Societies, many of which we can obtain by exchange, and to the 
collection of all books, old or new, which have any relation to the 
history, the geography, statistics, or condition, moral and political, 
of Ireland. 
This being admitted, there are two things to which I shall call 
