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April 10. 



RICHARD GRIFFITH, Esq., in the Chair. 



George James Allman, Esq., Henry Lindsay, Esq., John 

 M'Mullen, Esq., Hon. and Very Rev. Henry Packenham, 

 Dean of St. Patrick's, Goddard Richai'ds, Esq., and John 

 Wynne, Esq., were elected Members of the Academy. 



Dr. Todd, V. P., read a translation of an Irish deed or 

 agreement made in the year 1526, between Conla Mac Geo- 

 ghegan, chief of the Kinel Fiacha, and Breasal Sionnach, 

 alias Fox, chief of the Clan Tadgan, — both of Westmeath. 



The agreement was, that Mac Geoghegan should be 

 lord over Fox and his country under certain conditions, 

 which are specified, and of which the principal is, that Mac 

 Geoghegan is to do his best for the protection and defence 

 of Fox and his country. The deed adds, " if Mac Geoghegan 

 should on any occasion fail to do his best for the protection 

 and sustainment of the Fox in his lordship, that he would 

 do for himself; that he no longer have rent, nor privilege, 

 nor lordship over him, but every one be for himself." 



One passage proves that the custom of holding the half 

 yearly assemblage (oipeaccap) on the 1st of November and 

 the 1st of May was then kept up. " Every general assembly 

 of Samhan [All Saints' day] or of Bealtine [May day] that 

 shall be in Mac Geoghegan's country, shall be held at 

 Baileath-an- Urchair, or at Corr-na-Sgean, and the Fox and 

 the nobles of his country shall attend." 



It is known from other sources that the Brehon laws, and 

 the authority of the hereditary Brehons, were kept up in 

 many parts of Ireland to a much later period : the following 

 passage therefore, which contains an allusion to the Brehon, 

 is not surprizing. " And whenever either an EngHshman 

 or an Irishman sues the Fox or any one of his country, they 



