CiLAi'TEil XIX. 



THE KERRY BREED OE CATTLE. 



Bv TiiK i.ATK K. 0. PEINGLE, 



AUTHOR OP "A 11I:vm;W OP mSH AOBIOUI.TIIIIE." 







1\,()M Mic (Ml Ik , si period of which wo have any record, 



llir rcariii;^ ol" cmI ( Ic li:is ln'cii a. priiiclpa,! fcaiure in 

 Mie iiiduslrial pursiiils ol" (lie people of iivla.iid. 

 Tliis is e\ ideiil li-oni llie iVcNpieiil, meiirioii made of 

 caMle ill (he early a,iiiia,ls of (li(> e..iiii(rv ; a.iid i( is recorded (Iiat 

 a.liioii;;- (lir (liJMilcs |.ai.l to Hie Kiii;-; of ( 'asli(d ill (lie lin.ll 

 century were al»oii(, nine ( lionsand liea.d of eai( le. At a still 

 (sarlier period (lie " iiilia.i»i(a,n(,s iio(. only led upon (lie fl<'s!i of 

 oxen, l>n( were elollu'd ill (heir skins, l"oriiie(| weapons (pins and 

 rjiHl.eiierH) out of their l>on(>s, used (heir sinews and iii(es(iiu»8 

 for Hlrin!^s, and employed <lilTer(Mi(, pa r( s of tlietiC aiiiuials iu 

 niinis(eriii;'; ((• .lodiiiie; a,ii<I decor.i ( ivc a.r(s." 



Such ar.- (Ii<> s(a,(emeii(s nia,de by Sir William U. Wil("l(», in a 

 most iidcrcstiii:' paper "On (he An(i<"ii( and Modorn l{,aees of 

 Oxon in Iridand," which he r(>ad a, IVw years agO at a mooting 

 of tli(» Ivcvyal Irish Academy. Sir William Informs us Ihat 

 ^'cattlt^ foruii'd iio( only in <arly (iiii.\s (Jie chief weaKli a,ud 

 ]>roduco of the connl ry, hnt were also em|>loye(l as a, means of 

 l)!irt<'r. 'IMins we read of ransoms heiiijj^ paid wi( h oxen, and a,8 

 many as 110 milch (ows hciii;^^ jj^iven for a. maniiscripl ." 'I'ho 

 names ^A' im:iii\ |>laces in Ireland arc derived from circii iiis( a lu-es 

 i'ouncclcd \\i(h (he rearin;^ iA' ca,((le, and nios( iA' ( hese names 

 have come (low 11 (o (he prescnl day una Kcred, or wi(li a, very 

 sliglit va.riaiiou from (h(> ori|MiiaI. 



Sir William's paper was founded upon an examination of the 



