THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 151 



this with another "find" in or near Borris in Ossory. There is no 

 reason to suppose that^he weapons were deposited at different per- 

 iods, they were all lying at the same level, the iron ones not lying 

 above the bronze. The same circumstance was remarked when 

 deepening the fords of the Shannon, but at Meelick and Keelogue 

 the stone celts were invariably below the others, according to intelli- 

 gent supervisors of the workmen. The matter is doubted by others. 

 Weapons of the Irish Celts. — We have no means of ascertaining 

 when the Pagan Irish became acquainted with the use of metals. It 

 appears likely enough that the primitive Fir-bolgs had acquired a 

 knowledge of melting and moulding copper. The rude axes and 

 tools of this material were evidently modelled on the stone ones of 

 the earlier times. The succeeding colonists, if we may credit the 

 bards and annalists, were the artificers of the magnificent collection 

 of bronze swords, spears and war axes now in Dublin, London and 

 other places Two great battles were fought at North and South 

 Moytura, ending in the defeat of the Belgians or bagmen. " The 

 memorials on the fields " Wilde remarks, " to this day attest the 

 truth of the statements recorded by historians." To the superiority 

 of the weapons and magic, i, e., skill of their more highly civilized 

 foes these Fir-bolgs attributed their defeat. It is said they were 

 driven to the Western islands and other inaccessible places, but re- 

 turned and became gradually absorbed in the general population. 

 Eugene Curry was in possession of an ancient manuscript giving 

 quite a different version of the second fight at Moytura. He arrived 

 at the conclusion that the result was not a complete victory. It 

 ended in a compromise by which they remained in undisturbed oc- 

 cupation of Connaught. This, if true, would go far to explain the 

 marked difference in physical appearance between the peasantry of 

 the West and other parts of Ireland. 



Copper Spear-heads. — Only a few have been found. It is not 

 improbable that some of the weapons of this material were re-cast 

 subsequently, as has been suggested, when it was ascertained that tin 

 possessed the property of improving it for military purposes. 



Bronze Spear-poiJits, etc. — Although our National Collection is 

 the largest in Europe, viz., 276, it by no means represents the actual 

 number discovered within the past century. The British Museum 

 also secured many of our specimens. When I was quartered at 

 Birr, now Parsonstown, I saw in possession of a local antiquary 



