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of her own antiquities, but, in a great measure, of those of Europe. 
Yet this rich mine has never been worked with skill or effect; and 
Ireland is, to this day, without what may, with propriety, be called 
a History. Every attempt, in that way, seems to be in the extremes 
of partiality and praise, or of prejudice and vituperation. In the 
former case, the native writer cared not to separate fable from fact; 
in the latter, the purpose of the colonist was misrepresentation. 
It was with Ireland, as with Carthage—the far greater part of her 
self-called historians, since the days of the first Plantagenet, were 
her determined foes. 
The subject of these sheets is too limited to give extensive scope 
to the historian’s labours ; it presents, however, a sort of miniature 
of a general history, which may not prove quite unimportant. 
Like Ireland, Aran had been called “ the Isle of Saints,’ so cele- 
brated had it been for sanctity and learning. The Isles of Aran 
still exhibit abundant evidence that they had been successively se- 
lected as a favourite residence of the Pagan and Christian priest- 
hood ; here too the original manners, customs, and language are. 
peculiarly preserved, 
SECTION SECOND. 
NAME, SITUATION, AND EXTENT OF THE ISLES OF ARAN. 
In primitive languages, proper names are always descriptive of 
some moral or physical characteristic in the person, and of some pe- 
culiarity in the place, designated. Hence the essential aids, which 
etymology and history mutually confer. In conducting this opera- 
tion, however, arbitrary and far-fetched etyma must be cautiously 
avoided. 
